← Nouns Cooking · Brazilian & Peruvian

Ingredients

• 1 kg beef flank or skirt
• 2 Onion, 1 halved, 1 finely chopped
• 1 Carrot, cut into chunks
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 200 ml Passata
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 3 cans black beans (400 g tins), with their liquid
• 1 tbsp oil, for the beans
• ½ onion, for the beans, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, for the beans, crushed
• 1 tbsp brown sugar or grated panela
• 400 g long-grain white rice
• 3 very ripe plantains, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
• 4 tbsp oil, for frying the plantain
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Put the beef, onion halves, carrot and bay leaves in a large pot, cover with water and add 1 tsp salt. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer partly covered for 2 hours, until the meat pulls apart easily. Lift it out to cool a little and keep 300 ml of the broth.
2. While the beef cooks, make the beans: soften the onion in the oil over medium heat for 5 min, add the garlic for 1 minute, then tip in the beans with their liquid and the sugar. Simmer for 20–25 min, stirring now and then, until thick and creamy. Season with salt.
3. Shred the beef into thin strands with two forks. Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat and cook the chopped onion and pepper for 8 min, until soft. Add the garlic and cumin for 1 minute.
4. Stir in the passata, Worcestershire sauce (if using), shredded beef and the reserved broth. Simmer for 15–20 min, until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the beef is juicy, not wet. Season well.
5. Cook the rice your usual way. Meanwhile, fry the plantain slices in the oil over medium heat for 3 min per side, until deep golden and sticky. Drain on kitchen paper.
6. Serve a mound of rice, beans, beef and plantain side by side on each plate, like stripes on a flag.

Tips

• Add a fried egg on top and it becomes pabellón “a caballo” (on horseback).
• Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies and some brands contain malt vinegar from barley; leave it out or check the label if that matters to you.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

196 flavors Wikibooks Cookbook