A Brooklynite in Sydney cooking up shockingly simple food in Italian proportions.
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Shredded Beef Arepas with Black Beans and Cilantro Sauce
This doesn’t look good, but I can promise you it’s one of the best things I’ve made. Takes about an hour and a half all-up, if you soak the beans overnight they don’t take long to cook (or just replace with a can of beans), and the beef is dead simple.
You’ll need this recipe for black beans, as well as a half dozen arepas. Serves 4.
Ingredients (beef):
- 1lb flank steak, or some other fatty cut, sliced in 1 inch strips
- 1 orange, quartered
- 1 small onion, diced finely
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1-2 chilis
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 500ml beef stock
- Olive oil and salt
Sear the steak in an oven proof dish with a bit of olive oil. Mash the chili and garlic with a healthy amount of salt in a mortar and pestle. Once the steak is brown and caramelized, add the onion, cinnamon, orange, and garlic/chili combo. Cook, stirring up any brown bits stuck to the pan, for 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer before covering tightly and baking at 225C / 400F for an hour.
Remove lid, shred beef with a fork, sprinkle with salt, and bake for 10 more minutes to get some crispy bits.
Ingredients (cilantro sauce):
- 1/2 bunch of cilantro (coriander)
- 1 small clove of garlic
- 1 chili
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/8 cup of mayo
Purée and serve on top with fresh tomato and feta cheese.
