SPANISH BEEF STEW

1 beef flank steak (1 ¾ pounds)
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 red pepper, cut into ½ - inch strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into ½ - inch strips
1 green pepper, cut into ½ - inch strips
3 garlic cloves, crushed with garlic press
3 Serrano or jalapeno chilies, seeded and minced
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can (14 ½ to 16 ounces) tomatoes
Capers for garnish

1. Cut flank steak into three even portions. In 5-quart Dutch oven, heat the steak, chopped onion, carrot, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, and 5 cups water to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 2 ½ to 3 hours, until meat is tender. Remove Dutch oven from heat and let stand, uncovered, for 30 minutes. (Or, cover and refrigerate overnight)
2. In 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, peppers, and remaining 2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in garlic, Serrano chilies, and cinnamon and cook 30 seconds. Stir in canned tomatoes and their juice; cook 5 minutes.
3. Remove beef to bowl; strain broth. Reserve 2 cups broth. (Reserve remaining broth for use another day.) shred the beef with 2 forks into fine strips.
4. Stir reserved broth and shredded meat into pepper mixture and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Sprinkle with capers to serve. Makes 6 main-dish servings.

So this recipe was adapted from Good Housekeeping Best Recipes 1998. So this was another dish that I made during Snowmaggedon of 2010. Over all it was a pretty decent dish. The most surprising thing about the dish was the use of cinnamon in a savory dish. It was a welcomed change. As I was going to the grocery store before the storm it was a little difficult to find “flank steak” because everything on the shelves was wiped clean so, I used what was available. I don’t know if because I used the steak that I found instead of “flank steak” made the meat somewhat tough. I even marinated the goddamn meat overnight, thinking that I would get a much more tender meat. So I guess that I am gonna have to try making the dish the way that they described it in the cookbook. But overall it was a pretty welcomed dish that I enjoyed more as I let it set overnight and I took it to work the next few days for lunch.