Vaca Frita Recipe (Cuban Fried Beef)

5 from 2 ratings

Vaca Frita Recipe (Cuban Fried Beef)

Vaca frita is a Cuban recipe of cooked shredded beef marinated in juicy citrus, then fried with onions until nice and crispy. This dish tastes just like my favorite local Latin cafe with great Cuban food.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Cuban

Keyword: flank steak

Servings:

Calories: 229kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Ingredients

2 pound flank steak
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup lime juice
5 cloves fresh garlic chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup vegetable oil (for frying)
1 large onion (white or yellow) sliced
Fresh chopped parsley, lime slices (for garnish)

Instructions

Place the flank steak into a large pot and cover with water (use beef stock or bouillon for more flavor). Add the bay leaf and sprinkle in salt. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, or until the meat becomes very tender (shreddable). Remove from heat to cool. (Keep the broth for another use, or discard).
Shred the beef in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. You can refrigerate overnight for more flavor development.
When you're ready to fry the beef, drain the beef and squeeze out the marinade with your fingers.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan to medium-high heat. Add the shredded beef and fry until the beef starts to crisp up, about 7-8 minutes. The beef often sticks to the bottom of the pan, which is normal.
Add the onion and fry the slices for 5 minutes to soften, and until the beef becomes nice and crispy.
Serve with fresh chopped parsley sprinkled over the top. Goes great with white rice.

Notes

Serving size is 4 ounces (115 g). Nutritional information estimated without rice.

Nutrition