Beef "Ropa Vieja"

Ingredients:

• 1.4 kg of flank meat, cut into large pieces
• 1/2 onion, peeled and larded with 4 cloves, plus 1 red onion, thinly sliced ​​into half rings
• 3 coarsely chopped cloves of garlic
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 can (400-450 g) of chopped tomatoes, canned whole in their own juice
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup frozen green peas (defrosted)
• 5 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 cup halved olives stuffed with pimento peppers (drained)
• Serving options: with white rice

Preparation:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown thoroughly, turning once.
   
   Place the meat, 1 bay leaf, and the larded onion in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and add water to come to a level 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the meat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
2. Remove from heat and let the meat cool in the liquid for about 30 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate and cover to keep warm. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid. (The stew can be prepared up to 1 day in advance.)
   
   Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bay leaf, peppercorns, garlic, onion, oregano, and cumin and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 8 minutes.
   
   Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until dark red, about another minute. Pour in 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid, add the tomatoes and olives, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
3. While the vegetables are cooking, shred the meat. Add the beef and peas to the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring, until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with white rice.