Vaca Frita — Cuban Crispy Beef

Ingredients

• 2 lb Steak (flank works beautifully)
• 1 onion — half for boiling, half sliced for frying
• 2 bay leaves
• Juice of 2 limes + 1 orange
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp oil
• Rice and black beans, the constitutional pairing

Method

1. Simmer the Steak with the half onion and bay in salted water until shreddable, about 1 hour. Shred it into ropes and pat DRY — dryness is destiny here.
2. Marinate the shreds 10 minutes in the citrus juices, garlic, and salt.
3. Heat the oil in your widest pan until it shimmers hard. Press the beef into a thin layer and DO NOT TOUCH for 3–4 minutes — the crisp forms in the stillness.
4. Flip in sections, crisp the other side, and add the sliced onion for the final 2 minutes.
5. Serve with rice, black beans, and extra lime. 'Fried cow' is the literal translation; 'edges like beef chicharrón' is the experience.