Old clothing, shredded or shredded meat

This recipe is very popular in several countries in the Central American area, such as Venezuela, Colombia, Costa Rica or Panama . The name it receives, means that it is shredded, shredded meat , which is cooked accompanied by many ingredients and condiments typical of these countries. In Spain in some areas they call it  old clothing, shredded or shredded meat where the preparation is not far from that of our friends in Central America and the cow’s brisket is always used, although we can find the same preparation with pork.

I know it mainly from friends in Venezuela , where the meat is one of the most typical recipes. It is used to fill the well-known arepas , buns, empanadas and to eat as is with potatoes (potatoes), white rice, beans and fried plantains. The shredded meat is also one of the components of one of the Venezuelan national dishes, the so-called ” Pabellón Criollo “. The meat that we are going to use is that of the part of the beef brisket , which, once cooked, has the appropriate texture for easily unravel it. It is an economic cut, with tasty meat and for this recipe, we must buy the part that does not have bone. Being stewed slowly, it will be a very tasty dish.

I am going to propose the express recipe, made in a fast pot, to shorten the times. If we did it in a normal pot, it would take us more than 2 hours, so I recommend this option more. It will be just as rich, I assure you, because we have eaten it this week at home.

Preparation of the shredded meat

1. We cut the piece of skirt in two, to make it more manageable when cooking. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a fast pot (express) pour a sheet of olive oil, and over high heat mark the meat on all sides.
2. In this way, we seal the outside and it will be juicier inside. When it is golden, we remove it and reserve.
3. Now we cover the meat with water and salt. Once steam starts to come out, cook over high heat for 20-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces of meat. If it is a whole piece it will take a little more time.
4. After time, we remove the skirt and give it a cut to check that it is on point. It must be tender but without blood. We are going to let it warm up a bit, so that we can then handle it with our hands without burning ourselves. We reserve the broth.
5. When it is less hot, we cut meat portions, about half a cm. and with the hands, we are shredding it. Make sure that the cuts go in the direction of the layers of the meat, so the task will be easier for you. Due to its texture, we will do it without difficulty. If you do not get along, we can also help ourselves with a mincer robot.
6. We wash the vegetables. Chop the onion into julienne strips and the pepper into strips of the same size. The garlic cloves are minced very fine. Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds and chop them into small cubes.
7. In a wide frying pan, add a little oil and heat. Over medium heat, fry the pepper first 3-4 minutes, and then add onion and garlic. Mix and salt to taste. Let it cook for 10 minutes and now it’s time for the natural tomato.
8. We mix again, pour half a teaspoon of chopped cumin coffee, and lower the heat. We will let cook about 15 minutes until the vegetables are very soft.
9. It is the turn of the “shredded” meat. We put it in the pan next to a glass (200 ml.) Of the broth to cook the meat, and mix carefully. We continue to cook for 20 minutes over low heat, until the broth has almost evaporated. The meat has to be very juicy and the vegetables are soft.

As I told you at the beginning, you can accompany the shredded meat in whatever you want. Some fried or roasted potatoes, some black beans or, as in my case, white rice . It is a dish that takes time but the meat is delicious, you will be delighted with this recipe.

I leave you with the email from  Félix Guinand from Venezuela : “ I have long followed all his recipes and recommendations with great interest, since I love to cook and eat well, although this, until now, is not my job. I am Venezuelan and this time when I see the recipe for the typical shredded meat , I suggest that it, although it is normally made with a brisket , is much better with what is called ” chicken ” (here in Venezuela) or colita beef (as they call it in Argentina) ”