Cuban old clothes, a Caribbean recipe

Old Cuban clothes, a traditional recipe of the gastronomy of this Caribbean island, is, like so many others, a reworking of Spanish recipes. In fact, there is a very famous variant, the Canarian old clothes, from which all the others come. Cuban old clothes are a typical recipe that is always consumed on holidays, and is a testament to cultural syncretism. Typically, Cuban old clothes (which is strictly shredded meat) are accompanied by white rice, green plantain tostones and black beans, all served on the same plate. There are variations throughout the Americas, such as the Paisa Paisa in Colombia, or the Creole Pavilion in Venezuela, among others. In the Canary Islands it is prepared with chickpeas, which in America are omitted. Ingredients: 1 kilo of beef (preferably the cut called skirt. It can also be chuck or overbarriga) 1 large onion 1 red pepper 3 cloves of garlic ½ teaspoon of ground cumin 1 teaspoon of dried oregano powder ½ cup of red wine 1/8 cup of dry wine ½ cup of tomato puree 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce Water Salt and pepper How to prepare Cuban old clothes: Put the meat to cook in a large saucepan with water. If you do not have a pressure cooker, you will have to cook for at least an hour or an hour and a half. When it is very soft, remove and let cool. When it is warm, unravel it. Reserve. Cut the onion, pepper and garlic into very fine brunoise. In a large frying pan, add a tablespoon of oil and fry the vegetables. When they are golden brown, add the oregano, cumin, wines and tomato puree, stir well to integrate.Add the shredded meat, add the Worcestershire sauce, season and mix well, making sure that the meat is completely covered by the sauce. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, check the salt. You can correct the degree of acidity with a pinch of sugar. Accompany this delicious Cuban old clothes with white rice, black beans and green plantain tostones, or if you like it more, well-ripened plantain, which will give a sweet touch to the dish (as it is done in the Venezuelan Creole pavilion). You can prepare the old clothes in advance and even have them frozen, ready for when you want to prepare the “complete” recipe, as Cubans call it when it is accompanied by rice and black beans. As you can see, it is very easy to prepare and the result is a delicious and nutritious dish.