This Traditional Latin Dish Will Blow Your Mind - Carne Mechada Recipe
This Costa RIcan pulled beef is absolutely amazing and we made it in our Ninja® Foodi® Pressure Cooker! A must try!
Things to know:
What is a carne mechada?
Carne mechada is a flavorful, slow-cooked shredded beef dish from Latin America, particularly known in Venezuela and Colombia. It involves simmering a tough cut of beef until it becomes tender, then shredding it and mixing it with a sauce made from tomatoes, onions, peppers, and spices. It is a versatile dish that can be served as a main course, used as a filling for arepas and tacos, or included as a component of dishes like the Venezuelan national dish, pabellón.
What is the best cut of meat for carne mechada?
The best beef cut for carne mechada is skirt beef, a.k.a skirt steak. This is a fatty cut. It has abundant marbling, which makes it buttery-rich. The fat gives carne mechada much of its flavor and tenderness.
What is mechada in english?
Mechada (or carne mechada) in English primarily means shredded meat, often beef, slow-cooked until tender enough to pull apart with forks, similar to pulled pork, and used in dishes like arepas or as a main course. The name comes from the Spanish “mechar,” meaning to “lard” or insert strips (like vegetables or fat) into meat for flavor, or from “mechas” (strands/wicks) for the shredded texture.
Is skirt steak tough or tender?
Skirt steak is typically considered a tough cut due to its high connective tissue and muscle fiber content, but it is very flavorful. To make it tender, it’s essential to cook it properly by using methods like high-heat searing or marinades, and always slicing it against the grain.
Is there another name for skirt steak?
Yes, skirt steak has several other names, including Arrachera (in Spanish), fajita steak, Romanian tenderloin, and Philadelphia steak. These alternative names are often used regionally or are descriptive of its common use in dishes like fajitas or carne asada.
Ingredients:
For the beef
2 lbs of skirt or flank steak
1 large red bell pepper
2-3 finely chopped garlic cloves
2 finely chopped medium onions
For the sauce:
1 finely chopped medium onion
1 finely chopped red bell pepper
2 medium diced or pureed tomatoes
2-3 finely chopped cloves of garlic
1 t achiote paste
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 T brown sugar
1/2 cup diced cilantro
olive oil (we used achiote infused oil)
1. Add steak, bell pepper, garlic, onions, salt and pepper to a pressure cooker and cover with water. Cook for 90 minutes on high pressure until meat is extremely tender.
2. Remove steak from heat and allow to cool. Reserve the broth used to cook the beef for use later.
3. Shred the beef into long strands.
4. Add oil, onions, bell pepper and garlic to a large pan on medium heat and slowly sauté until caramelized.
5. Add tomatoes, achiote paste, tomato sauce, brown sugar, cilantro, steak shreds, and about 1/4 cup of the reserved broth.
6. Bring to a simmer and cook until the meat absorbs almost all of the liquid.
7. Serve on warm tortillas or with white rice. ENJOY!
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