Vaca Frita (Cuban Crispy Shredded Beef)

Flank steak is slowly stewed for hours and tenderized. But we are not stopping there. Once the meat is fork tender, shred it and fry it to crispy perfection with lots of garlic and lime.

Now you will learn, my friends, why this classic recipe is a big staple in Cuban cuisine…

Lot of people know Ropa Vieja, a very popular Cuban National dish, which has a similar concept of braising the meat for a long time and shredding it in the end.

Now Vaca Frita might not be as well known as Ropa, but it delivers bold garlicky, citrusy Cuban flavors in perfectly seasoned and well cooked meat.

One bite and you are going to completely fall in love with this unique Cuban dish.

Vaca Frita is a Great Cuban Recipe, Why?

It delivers the great Cuban flavors. The perfect balance of garlic and citrus with tender meat that is crisped up a bit. It may be something that you’ve never tried before, making it a very novel dinner idea.

Only a few pantry staple ingredients are all you need to make Vaca Frita.

Most of the cook time is done when the meat is simmering on its own, needing minimum attention from you during the process. In the end, it finishes with a quick fry in the pan. Yes, it takes long time to tenderize the meat, but the result is well worth that time.

You can serve it in many different ways. We will tell you all later in the post.

What is Vaca Frita?

Vaca Frita is a very traditional and classic dish out of Cuba. It’s basically crispy shredded beef. Vaca Frita literally translates to “fried cow”.

The concept here is pretty basic. It all starts with mostly flank or skirt steak that is simmered low and slow until it is fork tender. The second part of the process is shedding the meat and frying it crispy in oil with plenty of garlic and lime.

It is topped with sautéed onions, and sometimes bell peppers too. It’s normally served during their special occasions and get togethers. Rice and black beans, along with plantains or tostones, are great accompaniments to Vaca Frita.

Like Ropa Vieja, it originated in the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago located just off the western coast of north Africa.

It is believed that these slow braised beef recipes became popular in the plantations where slaves were given the toughest cuts of meat. And there started the story of how you can turn a not so palatable cut of meat into something flavorful and tender, by simply braising it slow and low and shredding it in some sauce in the end, or frying it… Pretty incredible!!

Vaca Frita was brought to the United States by Cuban immigrants. Its rich flavors and unique name has made it a favorite in the US, especially in Miami and other southern cities that host a large Cuban population. 

Vaca Frita Ingredients-

• Steak – Traditionally flank or skirt steak is used for vaca frita, as they shred well. You can use chuck roast as well, if that’s what you prefer or is what’s available.
• To season the steak – Garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, adobo, lime, black pepper, olive oil.
• Flavor enhancers – Cilantro and thyme.
• For frying – Olive oil, Spanish onion, garlic.
• Final seasoning – Lots of fresh lime juice.