Beef Asado San Fernando style

There are heirloom recipes that we always tuck away in the back of our heads and just prepare them every once in a rare while. Somehow that is what we pass on to our children and them to their own and somewhere along the way, it evolves into something else. Let me commit this one to this blog so that we can preserve this version of a classic from my grandmother to my mother and now to me.

300 gms. Flank steak whole trussed up

1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic

¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup red wine
1 ½ cup water
¼ cup olive oil (Pomace will do)

Bay leaf
Sprig of thyme
¼ tsp dried Rosemary
Black Pepper

1 small Sweet Potato
Peeled and sliced into ¼ in thick chips
1 cup sugar

100 gms string bean cut to ½ in lengths
100 gms carrots cut to ½ in x ¼ in lengths

1. Braise meat
Place pressure cooker over fire add ¼ cup olive oil
Brown meat lightly on all sides
Deglaze pan with red wine
Add onions and garlic
As it simmers and starts reducing add soy, vinegar and water
As this comes to a boil add Bay leaf, sprig of thyme and Rosemary
Baste meat several times over while it’s boiling for 5 minutes
Seal pressure cooker and cook for 20 minutes
Release pressure from cooker and remove meat set aside to rest
Make a slurry of ¼ tsp corn starch and ¼ tsp water and add to simmering stock to thicken

2. Prepare vegetables
Place sweet potatoes in a small stock pot
To this add sugar and 1 cup water
Set over flame and as it boils reduce fire to low
Set pan to flame and boil 1 cup water
Blanch carrots and string beans for 1 min each and shock in cold water to set color
Add melted butter to taste

As sweet potatoes are cooked and reduced in syrup set aside

3. Serve
Once meat has reasonably cooled
Cut strings
Slice ¼ in thick slice from the meat
Arrange on plate to sit on sauce. Drizzle a small quantity of sauce over the meat
Serve with Sweet Potato and carrots and beans on the side

Phew, that was a mouthful. Any red wine will do but a big red would be really really nice with this