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Carne mechada: recipe illustration
Meat

Carne mechada

Beef braised for a long time in a tomato and pepper sauce until it falls apart into strands. The iconic Sunday dish of Venezuela, served with rice, black beans and tajadas.

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Ingredients

Ingredients

Spices & seasoning

Optional extras

On the side

Nutrition facts

459 kcal per serving

Protein
50.5 g
Carbohydrates
10.3 g
of which sugars
7.9 g
Fat
22.6 g
of which saturated fat
6.3 g
Fiber
4.7 g

Ecomely’s estimate, calculated from the ingredients with the ANSES Ciqual food composition table, excluding sides and seasoning added to taste.

Instructions

  1. Cut the meat into large chunks, season with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano.
  2. Heat the oil in a casserole dish and sear the meat on all sides until well browned. Set aside.
  3. In the same casserole, sauté the sliced onions, peppers and garlic for 8 minutes over medium heat.
  4. Add the peeled, chopped tomatoes and the tomato paste, then let it reduce for 5 minutes.
  5. Return the meat with the bay leaf and water. Cover and simmer gently for 2 hours 30, turning the meat from time to time.
  6. When the meat easily falls apart with a fork, take it out and shred it finely.
  7. Put the shredded meat back into the sauce, adjust the seasoning and simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes so it binds well.

Variations and tips

Quick version. Use a pressure cooker: 45 minutes under pressure is enough to tenderise the beef.

With what's available here. Chuck or beef cheek works very well in place of shin.

More ideas

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Original Ecomely recipe.