Yield: 6 Servings
| Measure | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| \N \N | One 2 1/2-pound flank steak, cut in half |
| 2 eaches | Bay leaves |
| ¼ cup | Pure Spanish olive oil |
| 1 large | Onion, cut in half and each half thinly sliced |
| 1 large | Green bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips |
| 2 eaches | To 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped |
| 2 cups | Drained and chopped canned whole tomatoes |
| ½ cup | Cooking sherry |
| \N \N | Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste |
| ½ cup | Finely chopped drained pimientos for garnish |
| ½ cup | Drained canned early sweet peas, for garnish, optional |
| 1 each | Place the beef and 1 bay leaf in a large saucepan, cover with salted |
water, and cook over low heat, covered, until the meat is tender, 1 to 1½ hours. Remove the meat from the stock (save the stock for another use), allow to cool at room temperature, then cut the meat into 2-inch chunks. 2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over low heat until fragrant, then cook the onions, bell pepper, and garlic, stirring, or until the onions are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sherry, and the remaining bay leaf, and cook, uncovered, an additional 15 minutes. 5. When the meat is cool, shred it with your fingers, season with salt and pepper, add it to the tomato mixture, cover, and simmer over low heat for 50 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves, garnish with the pimientos and peas, and serve with Arroz Blanco ( See CUBA07.TXT). The dish can be prepared a day or two in advance, cooled, and refrigerated, and then simmered, covered, over low heat until heated through, 50 to 35 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings Mary Urrutia Randelman "Memories of a Cuban Kitchen" (Macmillan, 1992) ROPA VIEJA Old Clothes