Cuban-Style Stir-Fry with Tropical Salsa and Yellow Rice
- 1 3/4 pound beef tips, cut into large bite-size pieces
- 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 onions, sliced
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (eyeball it) or 1 stem fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 tablespoon cumin, eyeball it
- 1 bottle of beer
- 1-2 tablespoons hot sauce
- Juice of 2 limes
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained of half its liquid
- 1 sack plantain chips, found in the International foods with Latin foods
- 1 mango or papaya, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeo, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons (a small handful) cilantro leaves, chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric (eyeball it)
- 1 fresh or dry bay leaf
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup enriched white rice
- 1 3/4 cups chicken stock
Make the salsa: Combine mango or papaya, onion, jalapeo, cilantro and lime juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
Start the rice: Place a medium-size sauce pot over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of EVOO, the chopped onion, turmeric, bay leaf and some salt and pepper, and cook for about 1 minute. Add rice and stir, coating the grains with the spices and oil. Add chicken stock, raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat back down to medium, put a lid on the pot and cook until the rice is tender, about 18-20 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, start the meat: Place a large non-stick skillet over high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Season beef tips with salt and pepper, and add to the hot skillet in an even layer. Brown for 3 minutes, then flip and continue to brown for another 2 minutes. Add sliced onion, garlic, oregano and cumin to the beef. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add the bottle of beer, hot sauce, lime juice and orange zest and stir. Add the black beans and continue to cook until they are heated through, about 2 minutes.
Fluff rice with a fork before spooning it onto plates. Top rice with the stir-fry and finish it off with plantain chips and a spoonful of the salsa.