Cuban

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Vaca Frita (Boiled Beef Shredded Fine and Pan-Crisped with Lime)

Cuban beef: flank boiled in plain water until it falls apart, shredded fine, tossed with lime and garlic, then pressed thin into a hot pan and left until it crisps. Ropa vieja starts from the same pot and spends the shredded surface on a sauce; vaca frita spends it on a crust. So it is shredded finer, the marinade is squeezed out, and nobody touches it in the pan.

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Ropa Vieja (Shredded Beef)

Beef braised until tender, shredded along the grain, and simmered in a sofrito of onion, pepper, and tomato — Cuba's national dish. True to its name ('old clothes'), the strands soak up the sauce; piled over rice and black beans, it's a perfect meal.