Ropa Vieja

1 lb. flank steak
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 Cubanelle or green pepper, thinly sliced
6 oz. tomato paste
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. dried thyme
1 tbsp. dried oregano
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
½ cup dry white wine
2 cups beef stock
1 (16-oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
½ cup halved, pitted green olives
⅓ cup sliced jarred pimiento peppers
3 tbsp. capers, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro

Season steak with salt and pepper. Sear until browned on both sides; transfer to plate.
Add onion and peppers; cook until soft, about 4 minutes.
Add tomato paste, cumin, thyme, oregano, garlic, and bay leaf; cook until lightly caramelized, about 3 minutes.
Add wine; cook, scraping bottom of pot, for 1 minute.
Return steak to pot with stock and tomatoes; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until steak is very tender, 2–3 hours.
Remove steak, and shred; return meat to pot with olives, pimientos, capers, and vinegar. Cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.


Source: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Cuban-Style-Ropa-Vieja

Vaca Frita

1 lb flank steak
Things to cook the steak with
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 heaping teaspoons minced garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon salt
Olive Oil to coat the pan

Cook the steak. Simmering for a while works, stewing for a while works too. You'll probably want other things to flavor it. Usually takes a couple of hours. See "ropa vieja" recipe for more details. Shred the meat using your hands and/or a fork.
Add salt, garlic, half of the sliced onions, and the lime juice.
Coat a frying pan with olive oil and add mixture to the cold pan without heating the oil.
On medium heat stir the meat constantly, adding additional onions and more oil gradually as needed.
Once the onions are soft and the meat cooked, raise the heat and sear the meat until it’s slightly brown and crispy.
Serve with white rice and black beans, or plantains, or all three!

Source: http://cubanfood.blogspot.com/2009/05/esthers-vaca-frita.html and
http://agozarnyc.com/blog/2012/08/09/vaca-frita-authentic-cuban-food-with-history/

Alton Brown Hummus

Ingredients
Chickpeas, cooked (1 lb when still dry)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup tahini, stirred well
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
Powdered sumac, optional

Directions
Place the chickpeas, garlic, and kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 15 to 20 seconds. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and process for another 15 to 20 seconds. Add the lemon juice and water. Process for 20 seconds. Add the tahini. Process for 20 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil.

To serve, transfer the hummus to a bowl and drizzle with additional olive oil and sprinkle with sumac, to taste, if desired.

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/hummus-for-real-recipe/index.html