Barbecued Ropa Vieja Burgers with Escabeche Spice Rub That Cures

Miami chef and cookbook author Norman Van Aken is famous for his innovative New World cuisine —an original blend of Latin, Caribbean, Asian, and American flavors. Norman has generously shared this recipe, which also appears in his book Norman’s New World Cuisine. Ropa vieja (pronounced ROE-pa vee-A-ha), by the way, means “old clothes” in Spanish. If only old clothes looked as good as this tastes!

MAKES 6 BURGERS

• 4 to 5 pounds chuck or flank steak


• 4 teaspoons Escabeche Spice Rub That Cures ([>])


• 2 tablespoons annatto oil or olive oil


• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter


• 2 large onions, thinly sliced


• 12 cloves garlic, sliced


• 1 cup water


• 1 cup tomato sauce


• 3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar


• 1 teaspoon dry mustard


• ½ cup fresh lemon juice


• ½ cup sherry wine vinegar


• ½ cup ketchup


• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce


• 1 tablespoon freshly toasted and ground cumin seeds


• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

1. Place the steak on a work surface and rub the spice rub evenly on each side. Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the meat on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the butter to the pan. When it begins to foam, add the onions and garlic. Coat thoroughly with the butter and cook, stirring, until they are caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add ½ cup of the water and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Reduce the heat to very low and add the beef, tomato sauce, and remaining ½ cup water. Move the meat around and press down so that the liquid and some of the onions cover the meat. Cover the pan and let simmer for 2 hours, turning the meat after 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, mix together the brown sugar, mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, ketchup, and Worcestershire in a small bowl. When the meat is done, uncover the pan, skim off any excess fat, and add the brown sugar mixture. Cover the pan and cook for 1 hour more.

3. Remove the meat from the pan and let cool. Reduce the sauce over high heat until thickened, 10 to 20 minutes. Shred the meat, discarding any bones and fat. Reduce the heat to low and return the

shredded beef to the pan. Add the cumin and pepper and cook for 10 minutes.

SERVE IT UP on hamburger buns or wrapped in warm corn or flour tortillas.

TOP IT OFF with a poached or fried egg.

Escabeche Spice Rub That Cures

MAKES 1½ TABLESPOONS

• 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds


• 1½ teaspoons black peppercorns


• ¾ teaspoon sugar


• ¾ teaspoon salt

1. Place the cumin and peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan, until fragrant and slightly smoking, 30 to 60 seconds.

2. Transfer the mix to a spice grinder and pulverize until not quite finely ground. Place in a small bowl, add the sugar and salt, and mix.

Barbecued Ropa Vieja Burgers with Escabeche Spice Rub That Cures