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If you love classic and traditional Cuban dishes like Ropa Vieja, Fricase de Pollo, and Picadillo, then you’ll absolutely love Vaca Frita!
I like to think of Vaca Frita as Ropa Vieja’s hip-cool younger sister!
Vaca Frita starts off just the same way as Ropa Vieja— with a beautiful piece of brisket or flank steak that’s seasoned with a homemade mojo marinade. It’s then slowly stewed and tenderized.
Vaca Frita translates to “fried cow,” much like Ropa Vieja translates to “old clothes.” If you take these translations quite literally, then you’ll undoubtedly wonder, “What Am I Eating?”
Nonetheless, Vaca Frita is actually a timeless and traditional Cuban dish made with shredded beef and pan-fried to perfection with Spanish onions and garlic. Like many fried foods, it’s then finished with fresh lime juice that makes your tastebuds sing!
There are various ways of making Vaca Frita, and you can even use a variety of different cuts of meats. Most importantly, Vaca Frita starts off like another classic Cuban dish – Ropa Vieja. However, the sauce at the end is where things differ greatly!
Flank Steak: Flavorful with the perfect amount of intense beef flavor. It’s one of my favorite cuts to use since it’s a bit more affordable than brisket – which is another GREAT cut to use
Fresh Garlic: Go big or go home! This dish is defined by the garlic flavor. Ditch the jar-lic and use fresh garlic cloves
Sour Oranges: These can be hard to find. Luckily, you can create your own by combining the juice of one orange and the juice of one lime. If you’re in a pinch and you don’t have any fresh oranges on hand, you can definitely use orange juice and add fresh lime juice
When it comes to Cuban Vaca Frita and Ropa Vieja, there are several cuts of meat that you can use. My two favorites are hands down – flank steak and brisket.
There’s no denying that if given the option, brisket is the way to go. However, brisket can easily cost you an arm and leg. Flank steak is a great alternative!
Flank steak is flavorful and has an undeniable intense beef flavor. This is why it’s my go to for Carne Asada and Steak Fajitas. Flank steak is also a great option if you’re making the recipe for a lot of guests.
Now you may be wondering… what exactly is the difference between Vaca Frita and Ropa Vieja?
Vaca Frita and Ropa Vieja both start off the same way. They begin with an amazing authentic Cuban marinade and braised or pressure cooked to perfection. The meat is then shredded. It’s here that these two classic dishes begin to drift apart.
Vaca Frita is pan-fried until crispy with onions and garlic. Ropa Vieja is stewed in a savory tomato-based sauce. Both dishes are insanely flavorful and can be enjoyed with other Cuban classics like Tostones and Yuca Con Mojo.
Vaca Frita comes together with a few simple and fresh ingredients. To start, create a mojo marinade with sour oranges, Dominican orégano, cumin, salt, and pepper.
You can then braise the flank steak or brisket with roughly chopped onions, garlic, and bay leaves. However, if you want to save time, pressure cook the meat on high for 1 hour.
Afterwards, shred the meat and pan fry until perfectly crispy with olive oil, fresh garlic, and Spanish onions.
When frying the shredded meat, you can actually do this in a variety of ways. You can pan-fry the onions and garlic first and then add the meat. However, I love it when my onions have a bit of bite.
As a result, I pan-fry the shredded beef first and then add the onions and garlic. This ensures that the garlic doesn’t burn thus becoming bitter. Whether you want to crisp up the shredded meat or the onions first is entirely up to you and a personal preference.
Much like there’s different ways of crisping the beef, you can also tenderize it in a variety of ways. You can either pressure cook or braise the flank steak or brisket.
If you want to build the ultimate flavor and you have at least 2 or more hours to do so, then I recommend braising. However, if you’re short on time, then pressure cooking the marinated meat is the way to go!
If you’re pressure cooking the flank steak or brisket, then I recommend NOT adding any extra water. The pressure from the pressure cooker will cause the meat to release its own juices. Adding extra water can easily dilute the delicious mojo marinade.
What’s the Best Way of Preparing Vaca Frita Ahead of Time?
You can easily prepare vaca frita ahead of time if you’re serving it as a dinner party. I recommend braising or pressure cooking the meat and then shredding it. Store the shredded meat with any leftover braising liquid. Then pan-fry the meat with garlic and onions just before serving.
How Should I Store Vaca Frita?
Vaca Frita is a great dish to meal-prep with. You can store vaca frita in an air-tight glass container for up to 4-5 days.
Best Way to Re-Heat?
For best results, re-heat vaca frita in a skillet with olive oil. You can also reheat in the oven at 375°F. Drizzle extra olive oil before placing into the oven.
Best Dishes to Enjoy With Vaca Frita?
I love having Vaca Frita with White Rice, Cuban Black Beans, Cuban Congri, Yuca con Mojo, or Tostones.
More Cuban Classics!
Cuban Vaca Frita | Crispy Shredded Beef
Crispy, garlicky, Cuban shredded beef seasoned with a homemade mojo marinade and perfectly pan-fried with onions and garlic!
- Total Time1 Hour 40 Minutes
- Yield8 Servings 1x
- DietDairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Keto
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 lbs Flank Steak
- 1 White Onion Cubed
- 5 Garlic Cloves Roughly Chopped
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon Dominican Orégano
- 1/4 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 Freshly Squeezed Orange or 1/4 cup Orange Juice
- 1 Lime
- 2 tablespoons Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tablespoon Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Frying
- 3 tablespoons Olive OIl
- 6 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 2 Large White Onion Sliced
- Fresh Lime for Garnishing
Instructions
Marinade
- Roughly chop 1 white onion and 5 garlic cloves. Set aside. Then gently pat dry flank steak and season liberally with kosher salt and black. Then add Dominican orégano, cumin, olive oil, lime, and the juice of one freshly squeezed orange. Mix together and let marinate for at least 20 minutes. For best results, marinate for 2 hours or overnight
Pressure Cooking
- Place marinated flank in the pressure cooker along with roughly chopped onions, garlic, and bay leaves. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and make sure that the vent is in the “closed’ position
- Set pressure cook settings on HIGH for 1 hour. Once the pressure cooker is done, carefully release pressure and remove flank steak.
Shredding & Frying
- Shred flank on a cutting board using two forks or hands. Place shredded flank steak into a bowl and set aside
- In a large saute pan, set flame to medium high and add olive oil. Then add shredded flank steak and pan fry for 2 minutes at a time before gently flipping the shredded meat. The goal is to evenly crisp up the shredded meat on all sides. Repeat 3-4 times until the meat is crispy throughout. Feel free to add extra olive oil if needed
- Once the meat is crispy, create an opening in the center of the pan and saute the garlic and onions while gently folding in the rest of the meat. After everything is mixed in, turn off the flame and squeeze fresh lime juice over top. Sprinkle extra salt if needed. Enjoy vaca frita with rice, Cuban black beans, soft boiled yuca, or your favorite starch / vegetable
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Frying, Pressure Cooking, Sautéing
- Cuisine: Caribbean, Cuban, Latin