America's Test Chicken

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Empanadas, Two Ways

America's Test Chicken consists of two separate chickens, each with her own take on this cooking thing. Check out Chicken One's related blog, A Travel for Taste where she shares travel stories and recipes collected whenever she ventures abroad. And give Chicken Two's new, also-related blog, Poop from the Coop a read. There you can find stories about her personal adventure re-experiencing the kitchen after many years away. Please join our Facebook group to share your own recipes, kitchen practices and know-how. We are also on Pinterest and Instagram.

The complete recipes appear at the end of this post.

From Chicken One:
Savory
I went old-school, as usual, and made fried empanadas, which are filled dough pockets. It seems every culture has fried pocket dough pie: England has pasties, we have Hot Pockets, etc.

I use a recipe from Rick Bayless' cookbook, Authentic Mexican. I love his approach, traveling around Mexico, gathering and testing regional recipes. Sound familiar?

This recipe is basically a flour tortilla recipe you can do in the food processor:

I rolled them out with a small rolling pin. But you can cut out the rounds with a cookie cutter, too, to the same effect.

To seal them, which is all-important, I used a fork to crimp them closed. If you don't seal it properly, it will come apart in the oil when they're fried.

Some people roll a fancy rope edge to seal, which is beautiful. I tried it, but I wasn't very successful, as evidenced by the photo at top. There are also empanada presses for volume work.

I filled my empanadas with picadillo (see the previous blog post), but you can fill it with almost anything else. See Chicken Two's apple filling.

I'm proud of my successful frying, which is something I don't do often. I found that a thermometer for the oil is the trick for me. Made frying practically foolproof.

This recipe makes about a dozen empanadas.

From Chicken Two:
Sweet
I chose the sweet side of things. If you know my husband, you know why! The recipe for the dough is slightly different from Chicken One's dough with the addition of cinnamon and sugar.
Also, rather than fry them, I chose a recipe I found on line at Empanadas Ricas that called for baking.

Though the recipe calls for 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar, I only used 1/4 and added the optional cinnamon. Also I used just 3 tablespoons of water to get the right consistency.

I admit, I didn't even try for the fancy rope edge but I will next time.

See the previous blog for the filling I used, but I read elsewhere that you can use pie filling as well...just be careful of the amount of juice or it will get squishy. Probably should drain it.

I was very happy with the baked result. The crust was crispy and I sprinkled sugar on top while still warm and it was wonderful!

Empanadas de Picadillo Recipe

Ingredients

For the dough

3/4 pounds (about 3 cups) all-purpose flour, plus a little extra for rolling the dough

1/3 cup lard OR 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 teaspoons salt

About 3/4 cup very warm tap water

For filling and frying

1recipe Picadillo cooled to room temperature

Oil for deep frying, about 2 quarts, to a depth of 2 inches

Instructions

The dough. Measure the flour into a bowl, then thoroughly work in the fat. Dissolve the salt in the hot water, then work it into the flour mixture, making a medium-stiff dough. Knead just enough to bring the dough together and smooth. Don't overwork the dough.
Resting. Divide the dough into 16 portions, roll each into a ball, set on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest at least 30 minutes (to make the dough easier to roll).
Forming the empanadas. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of dough into a 5-inch diameter circle. Very lightly brush the perimeter with water, then scoop about 3 tablespoons of filling onto one side. Fold the uncovered side over the filling, expelling as much air as possible, then press the two edges firmly together. Lay the empanada on a baking sheet; continue forming turnovers with the remaining balls of dough. Firmly seal the empanadas by pressing the two edges together with the tines of a fork or by making the rope edge described below.
The optional decorative rope edge. Hold an empanada in one hand; with the thumb and first finger of the other hand, pinch out a 1/2-inch section of the dough on the nearest end. flattening it so that it extends out 1/4-inch beyond the rest of edge. With your thumb, curl over the top half of the pinched-out section of dough (it should look like a wave braking), then gently press it down to secure it. Now, pinch out the next 1/2-inch section of dough, curl the top side over, and press it down. Continue until you reach the other end. Fold the last pinched-out section back on itself, finished the seal. Complete the rope edge on the remaining empanadas and return them to the baking sheet. The empanadas can be frozen at this point and held for several weeks.
Frying the empanadas. About 15 minutes before serving, heat the oil to 350 degrees. Fry the empanadas 2 or 3 at a time, until deep golden, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a low oven until all are fried. Serve at once.

Empanadas de Manzana (Apple Empanadas) Recipe

Ingredients

for the dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs

2 sticks of butter

2-4 tablespoons water

1/4 - 1/2 cup of sugar (depending on your taste)

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder (optional)

Preparation

1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon powder in a food processor.

2. Add eggs, butter and water and mix until a clumpy dough forms.

3. Remove from food processor and knead by hand on a floured surface until the dough comes together.

4. Wrap the dough in plastic or put in a covered bowl and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

5. Prepare apple filling.

6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

7. Cut the dough in 20 - 25 even pieces and roll them into a ball.

8. Flatten balls on a floured surface into 5 inch disks, about 1/8 in thickness.

9. Put about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center and fold over the disk, enclosing the filling.

10. Press edges together to seal and crimp the edges using the method described by Chicken One or use a fork.

11. Beat 1 egg with a tablespoon of water and brush the empanadas before baking.

12. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until golden. The exact time depends on the size of your empanadas. Serve warm.

Savory and Sweet Empanada Fillings (Picadillo and Apple)

The complete recipes appear at the end of this post.

From Chicken One:
Picadillo

Here's a recipe I've wanted to make for a long time. I spent a lot of years in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, which has a big Cuban population who provide us with excellently scrumptious Cuban food. Picadillo (pick-a-DEE-yo) is one such dish.

However, picadillo is also a traditional dish in Mexico, as well as other Latin American countries. In all cases, it's a ground-beef hash-type dish, made by adding tomatoes, onions, seasoning and other ingredients to browned ground beef.

The recipe I used is based on a family recipe I got from a Cuban woman in Tampa Bay plus the recipe in a cookbook from El Charro Cafe in Tucson, AZ, which serves Mexican fare. The El Charro cookbook states that picadillo is a traditional food to serve guests at weddings in Mexico, something I've never heard before.

In addition, the original El Charro recipe called for 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar, but I omitted it. I'm glad I did because it came out very sweet nevertheless. I will downplay the sweetness even more next time.

To make it less sweet, cut the amount of apples in half or use tart apples, and, if you're using canned tomatoes, make sure there's no added sugar.

The recipe below serves six to eight people.

A note: Use russet potatoes instead of the waxier white, gold or red potatoes. The softer, more open texture of a russet allows the flavors to permeate more completely than with other types. Cut even-sized cubes for even cooking and add a little vinegar to the potato cooking water to prevent overcooking and ending up with mashed potatoes.

There are endless variations to picadillo. As long as you have the meat and tomatoes, add whatever is at hand from the pantry or local farm. You can add any or all of the following to taste:

1 tablespoon capers

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup chopped green peppers

1/2 teaspoon ground oregano

1/2 cup burgundy wine

From Chicken Two:
Manzana (Apple) Filling
I found this recipe on line at Empinadas Ricas. Apparently there's a difference between Latin American and Spanish empanadas. Spanish are usually large and circular and cut up for consumption, whereas Latin American empanadas are small and semicircular. I used this filling with a sweet Latin American dough.

Fresh lemon juice works best, but you can use bottled, too.

Here, the sugar, cinnamon and raisins are mixed together. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of sugar but I reduced it to about 1/3 since the dough was sweet as well.

I only used about two tablespoons of filling on each rolled-out dough disk, but you can adjust if you want smaller or larger empanadas.

You can substitute other fruit, like pears, if you like but I have to tell you...this was very tasty! The dough recipe will be in our next post, so hang on to this! You won't be sorry.

Picadillo Recipe

Ingredients

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 cup water

2 pounds lean ground beef

1⁄4 cup garlic, pureed

1⁄2 medium white onion, chopped

2 1⁄2 cups potatoes, cooked and diced

2 celery ribs, chopped

1- 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced; or 2 cans diced tomatoes in sauce

1⁄4 cup raisins, soaked in hot water until plump

8 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1⁄2 cup ketchup

1⁄2 cup water

24 Spanish olives, pitted and chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup apple, unpeeled and diced

¾ fresh ground black pepper

5 whole cloves, ground

Directions

Heat a skillet and add the salt, water, and ground beef.
Stir and separate the beef, and brown it quickly.
Mix ketchup with water in equal proportions
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well
Cook until flavors blend, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Manzana (Apple) Filling Recipe
Ingredients
8 medium sized apples like Granny Smith or Gold
1/2 cup raisins
juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

Preparation
1. Peel apples, decor and cut into small cubes
2. Mix apple cubes with lemon juice
3. Add sugar, cinnamon powder and raisins and mix well.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Rosemary Pine Nut Crackers and Biscotti

The complete recipes appear at the end of this post.

From Chicken One:
Rosemary-Pine Nut Crackers

Chicken Two and I took a class at the Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium in Brandon, FL, just east of Tampa. I'd highly recommend them for kitchen supplies and classes. They are certainly well-equipped and the instructors know what they are doing.

The class was for making crackers and we got a lot out of it. By far my favorite cracker of the three we made was the rosemary-pine nut flavor.

These wonderful gems go great with a nice, soft cheese and a glass of chilled white wine. Plus they couldn't be easier: it's like making cookies.

Mix up the ingredients just like cookie dough: cream the butter and sugar together, add the dry ingredients, and so on. Detailed instructions are in the recipe below.

Form the dough into two thick rectangles, wrap in plastic and let rest in the fridge for an hour or two.

Roll the dough out like cookie dough and use a cookie cutter to cut them out. In class we used a round, scalloped cutter, but at home I used my autumn-themed leaf-shaped cutters.

You can see all the luscious butter sizzling in the oven as they bake:

See? They look just like cookies.

These crackers melt in your mouth. The creamy richness of the pine nuts stand up to the boldness of the rosemary, something not a lot of ingredients would be able to do.

Note: you owe it to yourself to use fresh rosemary. Chop it very finely for max flavor. Plus you don't want to get rosemary leaves in your teeth when you eat them.

I keep some of this dough in the freezer. It's easy enough to thaw it out and bake them up if you have a gift to bring someone or have unexpected guests.

Get yourself a round of French Camembert plus a crisp white wine and sit down with these crackers. Just don't expect there to be any left when you get up.

From Chicken Two:
Rosemary-Pine Nut Biscotti

I love the savory taste of rosemary and pine nut, so I set off to find a recipe that looked interesting. I found this one in Eatingwell.com, where I've found some great recipes in the past.

Mixing the ingredients to form a soft dough. Hint: baking is a lot like a science, so be sure to measure the ingredients precisely or you may not have the outcome you were hoping for.

I formed the loaf on wax paper to make it easier to transfer it to the baking sheet. You just roll it on!

It's easy to slice if you let it cool properly.

Not only beautiful, but tasty too!

Rosemary Pine Nut Crackers Recipe
Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons butter, softened
3.75 ounces (100 g) pine nuts, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
water

Instructions:

Mix flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Use an electric mixer to whip the butter until light and smooth.
Add half the flour mixture to the butter and mix just until combined.
Add the rosemary, pine nuts, egg, egg yolks and pepper. Mix until just combined.
Add rest of flour mixture until just combined. Dough should not be dry. If it crumbles, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until it is moist and doesn’t crumble when pinched.
Divide dough in half. Flatten it into thick rectangles. Wrap each rectangle in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C).
Unwrap one rectangle of dough on floured surface. Roll to ¼-inch (0.6 cm) thick.
Cut out crackers with cookie cutter. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake until golden, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool and store in airtight container.

Rosemary-Pine Nut Biscotti
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup semolina flour or fine cornmeal
2/3 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Combine all-purpose flour, semolina flour(or cornmeal), pine nuts, rosemary and baking powder in a large bowl, mixing until the rosemary is evenly distributed throughout.
3. Whisk eggs, sugar, oil and salt in a medium bowl just until combined and uniform (but not until the sugar dissolves).
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surgce and shape into a 12 by 2 1/2 inch log.
5. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Let cool on the baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes and reduce oven to 325 degrees.
7. Slice the log crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices and place them cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes then turn over and continue baking for 10 more minutes.
8. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the biscotti to a wire rack to cool completely.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Fresh, Handmade Ravioli and Tortellini with Two Fillings

The complete recipes appear at the end of this post.

From Chicken One:

Ravioli and Tortellini

There is nothing quite so satisfying as making your own fresh pasta! I've done this a few times, as evidenced by more than one blog post on my travel blog, A Travel for Taste. If you click that handy link, you can find the dough recipe and pictures from the first time Chicken Two and I made pasta together, which was in 2013 in Germany.

So, check out that post and whip up a batch of that dough, roll it out, but don't cut it into strips because this blog post shows you how to make ravioli and tortellini from it. Plus, we're giving you two delicious filling recipes below as well.

My recipe is a mushroom and spinach filling that I kind of made up myself.

Roll out a thin sheet of pasta dough and place on a floured work surface. Using a tablespoon-sized disher or measuring spoon, place mounds of the filling in increments along the sheet of dough.

Leave enough room between the mounds so that there is plenty of space for the ravioli stamp you are using. If you don't have a ravioli stamp, you can use the rim of a glass or even a knife (for square ones).

Roll out a second sheet of dough and place over the mounds of filling. Press the dough sheets together, making sure to get all the air out before pressing the dough together to seal.

Cut with the ravioli stamp:

Here's a closeup of a finished ravioli with no air inside. If you don't get the air out, the ravioli will burst in the water as it cooks and the whole thing will turn into a huge mess. You don't want that!

Now you can either cook them or freeze them for later. To freeze, place them on parchment on a cookie sheet with space between them. Put the whole cookie sheet in the freezer until the ravioli are frozen. Then you can put them in a tightly sealed bag or container and return them to the freezer.

For the tortellini, it's best to not use the fancy edge of the ravioli stamp, so I just used a cookie cutter to make circles. After you place the filling in the middle, dip your finger in water and wet the outer edge of half the circle. Fold over the dough to make a half-moon, squeezing out all the air again before pressing the edges to seal.

Now comes the fun part. Wrap the half-moon around your little finger with the curved edge upward. Press the two ends together to seal. Next, turn the curved edge down away from your finger. And now you have tortellini!

The good thing about fresh pasta and either of these fillings is that you can mix and match. Fill either pasta with either filling and then top with any sauce you like when you serve them. For the mushroom and spinach filling, however, keep the sauce light because a heavy sauce would class with the flavor. I recommend you melt some butter in a pan with some olive oil, saute some garlic in it, toss in a pinch of salt, and spoon over the cooked ravioli. Strew some chopped fresh parsley over the top as a garnish and you're all set!

From Chicken Two:
Molded Ravioli

That heading makes it sound almost artistic. Well, I suppose it could be, if this method hadn't been so frustrating! Don't get me wrong, I love making pasta! And there's nothing more satisfying than making a dish using what I made with my own two little hands.....but jeez!

Ok, let me start by saying it was the first time I've used this ravioli mold. It probably gets easier with more experience.

Bottom is the mold, top acts as the divider and cutter.

After rolling out the sheet of pasta, cut it in half and gently place one layer onto the mold. (it really helps if the sheet is wide. You really need more around the edges than I'm showing here...trust me)

Drop about a tablespoon of filling into each section of the mold. If you underfill, you risk more air pockets later. Took a couple of tries for me to figure than one out! Cover with the second sheet and place the cutting side of the mold on top to form the ravioli.

Here's where I ran into problems. The top is supposed to serve as the cutter. I tried it several ways but it just didn't cut very well and I wound up removing the ravioli from the mold altogether and cutting each one manually with a knife. Even the rolling cutting tool failed me - the knife worked better. I saw a video demonstrating this mold and the guy used a rolling pin to press the top down and cut, but that didn't work for me either. Bummer!

Here you can see what I meant about the air...gently massage the air out. This is before...

This is after.

So that's my less-than-stellar performance! Keep refrigerated until ready to cook or you can freeze them. I have to say it didn't ruin the taste, which was really good served with a Garlic Alfredo sauce. Next time, I will do it without the mold - just my roller and my trusty knife!

Mushroom and Spinach Ravioli and Tortellini Filling Recipe
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup shallots or onions, finely diced
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 pound mushrooms of your choice, finely diced

1/2 cup chopped fresh baby spinach
salt and pepper to taste
In a large frying pan over medium heat, saute the shallots or onions in the olive oil until transparent.
Add garlic and butter; saute an additional 2 minutes.
Add mushrooms and spinach and cook for about 10 minutes until the mushrooms are very soft, almost mushy.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Use to fill ravioli or tortellini.

Spinach and Ricotta Cheese Filling
1/2 tablespoon olive oil 
1 shallot, finely chopped 
8 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
 salt & pepper
 1 cup ricotta cheese
 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
 1 egg
 
While the pasta is resting, prepare the filling. Steam the spinach and drain well, pressing the spinach to remove all excess liquid. Chop finely. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until hot but not smoking. Add shallots and cook for about a minute, stirring so that they do not brown. Add the shallots to the spinach, along with the ricotta, Parmesan cheese and egg. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper as needed. 
Use to fill ravioli or tortellini.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Homemade Chorizo Mexican Sausage + Beef Tamale Filling

The complete recipes appear at the end of this post.

From Chicken One:
Chorizo Sausage
In keeping with the Mexican food theme we are following these days, I made homemade chorizo, which is a pork sausage. Now, if you research the word "chorizo" at all online, you'll find so many variations it will make your head spin! There are Spanish, Portuguese and Mexican varieties; European types use lots of paprika where Mexican types use mainly chili peppers; you can find it in casings or not; it can be cured, smoked or cooked; you get the idea.

Although all my cookbooks and thousands of websites have slightly different recipes, I started with a recipe from a wonderful new cookbook, The Gourmet Mexican Kitchen by Shannon Bard.

I got to use four types of dried chili pepper (from upper left clockwise in the photo): ancho, guajillo, chipotle and de árbol:

I'm slowly learning the differences among chilis by using them. I learned so far (without looking it up) that anchos are dried poblanos and very mild; chipotles are smoked jalepeños; and de árbols will hurt you if you're not careful because they are so hot!

I bought these dried in the local supermarket, which has a great international aisle. They must be rehydrated in boiling water for a half hour or so; I used some small dishes to keep them submerged:

The directions are easy to follow. Here the combined ingredients cook.I've noted before that Mexican cuisine is so similar to Indian cuisine, and the chili peppers and processing are very much alike. In addition, toasting whole spices then grinding them is also similar. I did that with the chorizo spices as well:

Then I put the rehydrated chilis, spice mixture, chopped garlic and salt in a food processor:

This all got ground to a paste:

Then, I just incorporated it into some ground pork.

Viola! Chorizo!

You're supposed to age it in the fridge overnight or for a couple of days, but I fried some up after about an hour to go with the tortillas we made just to try it out. It was good, but I have some things I'd recommend for the next time:
1. use fattier pork - it was a little dry and I had to add cooking oil to the skillet to cook it, a travesty for sausage!
2. use much more of the hot chilis because I like my chorizo spicy; this was very, very mild

In any case, making chorizo was much easier than I expected - and I WILL be making my own sausage from now on. Can't wait to try breakfast sausage, Italian sausage, etc.

From Chicken Two:
Chipotle Beef Tamale Filling

I've had a lot of fun exploring Mexican recipes, but mostly it's been fun exploring the markets filled with spices and food I've never used before. For this recipe, I actually bought the beef from a mexican butcher near me who, it seems, spoke no English. Talk about putting my rudimentary Spanish to the test!
The directions are easy to follow. Here the combined ingredients cook.

..and reduced to a smooth sauce in the blender before returning it to the skillet.

Cook the meat in the broth and remove it to a cutting board. Using two forks, pull the meat apart.

Add the vinegar to the sauce with salt, pepper and sugar to taste, add the meat and toss.

Serve with the tamales.

Couple of hints: Make sure your food processor is tight and in place properly. It will leak otherwise. Also, be sure to cool the meat before trying to pull it apart. It's quite hot and is easier to handle when cooler.

Enjoy!

Mexican Chorizo Recipe

5 whole peppercorns

3 whole cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons (5 g) paprika

2 teaspoons (10 g) salt

2 dried ancho chilis

1 dried guajillo chili

1 dried chipotle chili

1 dried chili de árbol

2 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons (45 ml) apple cider vinegar

1 pound (450 g) fatty pork, coarsely ground

Grind the peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, paprika and salt in a spice grinder and grind to a powder.

Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chili peppers. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and press the chilis into the skillet with a utensil to dry roast them on each side. Place dry-roasted chilis in a bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover. Place a small plate on top to keep them submerged. Let stand 30 minutes til completely rehydrated.

Combine spice mixture, rehydrated chilis, garlic and vinegar in a food processor and process into a paste.

Mix paste and pork thoroughly together with a wooden spoon or your hands.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to marry.Cook

Chipotle Beef Tamale Filling Recipe

4 dried anchos chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into 1/2 inch pieces

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 Tbsp miced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp sugar, plus extra as needed

3/4 cup ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

Salt and Pepper

3 cups beef broth

1 3/4 pounds top blade steaks, trimmed

1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1. Toast anchos in skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until fragrant. 2-6 minutes and transfer fo bowl.

2. Heat oil in skillet and add onion and cook until softened. Stir in garlic, chipotle, oregano, sugar, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, 1 tsp salt, and toasted chiles and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in broth and simmer until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Transer mixture to blender and process until smooth, about 20 seconds, return to skillet.

3. Season beef with salt and pepper, nestle into skillet, and bring to simmer over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until beef is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Transfer beef to carving board and let cool slightly. Using 2 forks, shred beef into small pieces. Stir vinegar into sauce and season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Toss shredded beef with 1 cup sauce. Reheat remaining sauce and serve with tamales.