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Carne Mechada Venezuelan-Style Shredded Beef Paleo Whole30
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5 from 4 votes

Carne Mechada (Venezuelan-Style Shredded Beef) - Whole30, Paleo

With ribbons of slow-cooked shredded beef tossed in a delicious and savoury sauce, this Carne Mechada will be an instant family favourite.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Caribbean, South American, Venezuelan
Keyword: Carne Mechada, Fried Plantains, Patacones, shredded beef, tostones
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Carne Mechada:

  • 1 pound flank steak sliced in half against the grain
  • 2 medium carrots roughly chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion quartered
  • 1 medium orange or yellow bell pepper quartered
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 medium red bell pepper diced
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dry oregano
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

For the Fried Plantains:

  • 4 unripened green plantains, peeled and cut on a bias into 1.5” discs
  • ½ cup coconut oil plus more as needed
  • Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

For the Carne Mechada:

  • Add the flank steak to a large pot and add enough water to just cover. Set over high heat and bring to a steady simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and use a spoon to discard any foam that rises to the surface of the water, around 10 minutes.
  • Add the carrots, onion, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black peppercorns. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook until the steak can be easily shredded, around 1.5 hours.
  • Transfer the steak to a tray and let cool. Discard the vegetables and pour the cooking broth through a sieve into a bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking broth and set aside. Leftover broth can be stored in sealed jars and frozen up to 6 months.
  • Wipe the pot clean and return it to a medium heat. Add the avocado oil and heat until shimmering. Add the diced red pepper and diced onion. Season with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, around 6 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, 60 seconds. Add the tomato paste and canned tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the liquid reduces by half in volume. Add the reserved beef broth and shredded flank steak and cook, stirring regularly, until the liquid reduces by at least half, around 10 minutes. Add the cilantro and stir to incorporate. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as desired.
  • Transfer the carne mechada to a large serving bowl and serve with the fried plantains and sliced avocado.

For the Fried Plantains:

  • Preheat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the coconut oil and heat until shimmering. Add the plantains and cook until golden, around 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden, around 3 more minutes. Transfer par-cooked plantains to a tray. Using the bottom of a ramekin or tortilla press, gently smash each of the plantains into ¼”-thin discs.
  • Working in batches, return the smashed plantains to the oil and fry until golden brown and crispy, around 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown and crispy, around 2 more minutes.
  • Transfer the fried plantains to a tray lined with paper towel and lightly season salt. Serve immediately with the carne mechada or keep warm in a 200F oven until ready to serve.

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