Vaca Frita

Ingredients 2 lbs flank steak 2 whole bay leaves 6 black peppercorns 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped water 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper sherry/kirsh olive oil Directions Place the steak in a large pot, cover with water and add bay leaves, peppercorns and parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours. Place beef in simmering liquid in the fridge for several hours, or overnight (recommended). Cut the meat into four steaks (across the grain). Pound it with a meat pouner until it expands about 50%. Mix the garlic, cumin, salt and pepper (the original recipe also calls for 1 tsp of onion powder, which I ommitted). Rub the mixture into the steak. Splash sherry on each steak (I didn't have sherry, and used kirsh, which worked wondefully). Leave to marinate. Heat olive oil in a pan, and fry each steak until its brown on the outside and warm in the inside - this should only take a few minutes. The originally recipe called for this to be served with lightly fried sliced onions and green peppers - but I didn't like it with them. The meat on the other hand is heavenly. Very, very tender and it has a wonderful flavour. Flank steak has a funky consistency, but the taste makes up for it. Creator Comment I just tried this Cuban dish this week and it was a definite success. Pay no attention to its name (fried cow), and try it. It's light adapted from the Frugal Gourmet on our Immigrant Ancestors (a really good book - which I recommend). It's also rather simple to make, though it requires overnight marination. The Frugal Gourmet says the dish originates with the La Teresita Cuban Restaurant in Tampa, Florida.