Vaca Frita
Black Beans, Green Sofrito, Sundried Tomato Escabeche, Red Onions, Avocado, White Rice
Chef Yun Fuentes of Bolo | Philadelphia
“Sofritos are the base and foundation of Puerto Rican cooking. This green sofrito will bring robust flavor to your beans without the need for ham stock or chicken stock, making a flavorful side dish that is completely vegetarian. The Vitamix Commercial immersion blender allows us at Bolo to produce a large amount of sofrito swiftly, making our weekly, 40-quart black bean prep a breeze.” — Chef Yun Fuentes
Adapted by StarChefs | January 2025 | Photo: Stephen Reccia
INGREDIENTS
Sun-Dried Tomato Escabeche:
Yield: 4 quarts
2 pounds brunoise shallots
2 cups Sherry vinegar
½ cup honey
2 teaspoons sea salt
3 pounds sun-dried tomatoes
¼ bunch thyme, picked and chopped
1 can tomato juice
½ quart extra virgin olive oil
Vaca Frita:
Yield: 20 servings
20 pounds skirt steak
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup garlic cloves
Green Sofrito:
12 green bell peppers, charred
6 cubanelle peppers, charred
4 cups garlic cloves
7 Spanish onions, peeled and quartered
2 quarts extra virgin olive oil
1 quart red wine vinegar
2 cups dried oregano
¼ cup ground cumin
12 dried bay leaves
3 cups granulated sugar
Black Beans:
8 quarts dried black beans, rinsed
Adobo seasoning
Kosher salt
To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
Oil for frying
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 ounces key lime juice
1½ cups white rice, cooked
3 slices avocado
½ ounce extra virgin olive oil
Thinly sliced scallions
METHOD
For the Sundried Tomato Escabeche:
In a mixing bowl, combine shallots, vinegar, honey, and salt. Cover and let sit 1 hour at room temperature. In a separate mixing bowl, combine sun-dried tomatoes, thyme, and tomato juice. Cover and let sit 1 hour at room temperature. Fold sun-dried tomato mixture into shallot mixture. Add olive oil and stir until fully combined. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Vaca Frita:
Heat oven to 400°F. Place steak in a large nonreactive container. Pour vinegar over steak to submerge. Rinse steak with vinegar until cleaned. Remove meat, reserving liquid separately. Pick meat and pat dry. Transfer picked meat to a 6-inch deep hotel pan. Top with garlic cloves and 10 quarts reserved vinegar liquid. Cover pan with parchment paper, then cover with aluminum foil. Cook 2½ hours. Strain, reserving meat and cooking liquid separately. Let cool.
For the Green Sofrito:
Heat oven to 375°F. In a 6-inch deep hotel pan, toss to combine all ingredients. Cover with aluminum foil and cook 2 hours. Transfer to a nonreactive container and let cool. Using a slotted spoon, remove bay leaves. Using a Vitamix Commercial immersion blender, combine mixture until smooth. Set aside.
For the Black Beans:
In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring black beans and 24 quarts water to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. Once beans are tender, remove from heat and fold in Green Sofrito. Season with adobo and salt. Return to low heat and keep warm.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a skillet over high flame, heat oil to 350°F. Add 8 ounces Vaca Frita and fry to desired doneness. Using slotted spoon, remove from oil and let cool. In a sauté pan over low heat, add onions and lime juice. Keep warm. Arrange rice in a vertical line across the center of a serving plate. On the right side of the rice, place 2 ounces Sundried Tomato Escabeche. Top Sundried Tomato Escabeche with avocado and drizzle with olive oil. Spoon 3 ounces Black Beans on the left side of the rice. Top Black Beans with fried Vaca Frita followed by warmed onions. Garnish with scallions.
