In this easy & delicious Cuban staple, beef is braised in a rich, gluten-free tomato & pepper sauce before being shredded into delightful strands & served with rice & plantains. Flank steak is most commonly used, but skirt steak works as well. Try serving it over a bed of white rice with black beans and plantains on the side. For a Whole30 and Paleo option, serve it alongside cauliflower rice and plantains.
2 pounds flank steak, substitute skirt steak
1 can Lindsay Crafted Green Ripe Pitted Olives
Kosher salt & black pepper
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 medium onion, julienned
1 green pepper, julienned
1 red pepper, julienned
1 yellow pepper, julienned
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 cup water, plus extra if needed
Juice of 1 lime
Preheat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add avocado oil & heat until simmering.
Slice the beef into large pieces so that it fits into the pan & season both sides with salt & pepper. Working in batches, brown the meat on both sides, around 8 minutes total.
Reserve the fat in the pan, transfer the beef to a bowl & set aside.
Add the onion & peppers & season with a pinch of salt. Cook, scraping brown bits off the bottom of the pot, until the vegetables have slightly softened, around 4 minutes.
Add the garlic & cook another 60 seconds.
Add the garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika & cumin & cook, stirring, for 60 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes, lime juice, & Lindsay olives & stir to combine. Return the beef to the pot & push it down so that it's partially covered. Add enough water to barely cover the meat, bring a simmer, cover with a lid, reduce heat to low & cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 1.5 hours or until you can easily shred the beef.
Using two forks, shred the beef and return it to the pot. Stir to combine, taste for seasoning & adjust with salt & pepper as desired. Serve with sides of choice.
