Machuca Recipes

Steps:

• Place meat in large saucepan. Add water, peppercorns, 1/4 onion and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer until meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Cool meat in broth. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup broth. Mash garlic with 1/4 teaspoon salt to make a paste. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chopped onion and garlic paste. Cook until onion is tender. Cut chili into short strips. Add chili strips and tomatoes to cooked onion.
• Cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add meat, cumin and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook until meat is heated through. Stir in reserved broth. Taste and add salt if needed. Keep warm.
• NOTE: Can be served as a main dish or in tacos or other tortilla dishes.

Steps:

• For the marinade: Combine the Maggi sauce, lime juice, 2 tablespoons water, garlic and serranos in a medium-size bowl, season with salt and pepper. While whisking constantly, slowly add the olive oil, Put the brisket pieces into a large food-safe plastic bag and pour the marinade over it, turning the meat to coat. Seal and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or preferably overnight.
• Allow the meat to come to room temperature. Drain the meat and discard the marinade.
• For the brisket: Pour the oil into the bottom of a slow cooker. Add the onions, broth, peppers, oregano, garlic, chiles, tomatoes and some salt and pepper. Mix well, and then nestle the meat into the liquid in the bottom of the slow cooker. Cook the brisket on medium-high heat until the meat is tender and shreds easily with a fork, about 5 hours.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a cutting board and let stand until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Shred the meat into 2-inch-long pieces. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker, stir to combine, and let stand until the meat is hot, about 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
• The warm braised meat can be used to fill burritos, tacos, tostadas or sandwiches. Leftover meat can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen in plastic freezer bags or containers for up to 1 month.
• For the tostadas: Spread about 1/3 cup of the warm meat over each of the crisp shells. Top each tostada with about 2 tablespoons lettuce, some diced avocado and 2 tablespoons salsa. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon crema over the top and garnish with crumbled queso fresco.
• Serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the top.

Steps:

• Place beef in crockpot.
• Cover roast with remaining ingredients except salsa.
• Cover crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until roast is tender and can be pulled with a fork.
• Remove the beef from the crockpot and set the cooking liquid aside.
• Using two forks, shred beef.
• Mix beef with salsa, and if you like it a little moister, add some of the cooking liquid to the meat.
• Adjust the seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
• Use as a filling for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, chimis, etc.

Steps:

• Using a spice grinder, pulverize the oregano, and reserve ½ tablespoon of the powder for the soup. Season the shrimp with ½ teaspoon cumin, 1/3 of the oregano powder, salt to taste and a few pinches of adobo powder, if using. Pound the conch until tender with a mallet or the back of a knife, cut into bite-size pieces and season as you did the shrimp. Pat the snapper dry with paper towels, and season with 1/2 teaspoon cumin, the last third of the oregano powder, salt to taste and a few pinches of adobo powder, if using.
• Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, until lightly smoking. Carefully place the snapper pieces into the oil, working in batches if necessary. Turn heat up to high, and sear until richly browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and sear the other side, another 3 minutes or so. Remove the fish to a plate.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the minced garlic, chopped peppers and cilantro and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk, 5 cups water, sofrito, the remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons cumin, the reserved 1/2 tablespoon oregano powder and chicken bouillon. Bring this to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to keep the fat from separating. When it comes to a simmer, add the snapper, and turn the heat to high. When the liquid comes to a simmer again, add the shrimp. When it comes to a simmer again, add the conch, if using, and immediately turn off the heat. (The conch will cook quickly in the residual heat of the soup.) Season with salt to taste.
• Divide immediately in shallow bowls to prevent the conch from overcooking, and serve with the machuca, which guests can spoon into their bowls as desired.

Steps:

• Place beef portions into the crock of a large slow cooker. Mix olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice together in a bowl; pour over the beef. Add diced tomatoes, sweet onion, green bell pepper, garlic, jalapeno pepper, beef broth, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper to the slow cooker.
• Cook on High for 1 hour. Change setting to Low and continue cooking until the beef is tender, about 6 1/2 hours.
• Remove beef with tongs to a cutting board. Shred with a pair of forks and return to the slow cooker. Continue cooking another 20 to 30 minutes.