Bistec Picado en Cazuela (Chopped Steak in Pan?)

My Tata used to sometimes make a very simple dish that she simply called "Bistec Picado en Salsa" (chopped steak in sauce), she simply made a basic Cuban tomato based sauce (olive oil or lard, garlic, onion, bell pepper, can of tomato sauce, water to thin out sauce, seasoned with salt and cumin nothing more nothing less) to this boiling sauce she would add chopped steak and let it simmer until tender. My grandmother does the same procedure when she makes "Bistec en Cazuela" (steak in a pan) she'll simply submerge whole thin cut steaks to boil in the sauce. I prefer it chopped though because it's easier to eat.

So that's my Tata's version but I have my own way of making it that I prefer both are delicous but I prefer mine ;) today I'm showing you my version. The difference between mine and hers is that I brown the meat first seasoned with salt and pepper,then make the same tomato based sauce my Tata makes but with the addition of red wine, oregano, and teh optional sweet smoked spanish paprika from La Vera region of Spain.

Haha I wasn't very traditional when I made this my mother made fresh homemade flour tortillas and we used this dish as a filling, I also had a huge batch of "Potaje de Frijoles Colorados" (Cuban Red Bean and Pork Stew) which I pureed and refried to a thick paste to use as a filling to. So we basically had a meal that was Cuban, Spaniard, and Mexican fusion. Still delicious.

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 lbs. thin cut steak cut into squares or small strips
-1 large onion julienned
-1 large green bell pepper julienned
-1/2 a head of garlic peeled mashed to a paste or pressed through a garlic press
-1 can 8 oz. tomato sauce or 3 ripe tomatoes pureed
-1/2 cup red wine (to taste)
-1 cups water or beef broth
-1/2 teaspoon oregano
-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1 teaspoon sweet smoked spanish paprika (optional)
-salt to taste
-1/4 cup- 1/2 cup lard or extra-virgin olive oil (as needed I used lard, some dishes are just fabulous with it this is one of them)
-chopped cilantro or parsley to garnish (optional)

Directions:
(1) Season meat liberally with salt and pepper, heat lard on high heat until melted and hot. Add steaks in one layer and let brown about 5-10 minutes all around, stir occasionally, it is normal for the steaks to release liquid, let it all evaporate and stir occasionally until well browned, you may lower heat to medium high if you feel it's too hot.

(2) While steak is browning you can do all your prep work (chopping etc.) after browning steaks add onions and bell peppers cook down for about 5-7 minutes, add garlic and cook until fragrant about 1-2 minutes, add red wine and higher heat so it bubbles and reduces by half, scrape the bottom of the pan so it deglazes everything off. Add tomato simmer another 3-5 minutes, finally thin sauce out with water or beef broth bring to a rolling boil, season with cumin, sweet smoked paprika, and salt to taste (taste it and see if it needs more I add about 1/2 teaspoon salt but of course its eyeballed), if you feel it needs more black pepper feel free to add it.

(3) Simmer covered on low or medium low until meat is tender about 20-30 minutes.

(4) When ready you may garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro which is optional (I didn't have any on hand) mmmm.... enlarge the picture below by clicking on it to see how delicous it came out :D
Note:
-You may mince the onions and bell peppers if you wish, in which it would go better with the meat cut into squares, if you cut the meat into strips then everything julienned would look better, me I forgot and wasn't thinking so I ended up cutting the meat into squares and everything julienned, but still equally tastey.