Abuela's Braised Shredded Beef with Black Beans

Dice the yellow onion and bell pepper finely. Mince the garlic. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the olive oil and add the onion. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes until softened and translucent.

Add the bell pepper and cook for another 4 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant. This is your sofrito — the soul of the dish.

Push the sofrito to one side of the Dutch oven. Add the ground beef and break it apart with your wooden spoon. Cook over medium-high heat, letting it brown deeply without stirring too often, about 6 minutes.

Once the beef is browned, stir it into the sofrito. Pour in the tomato sauce, then add the cumin, salt, and black pepper. Stir everything together and bring to a gentle simmer.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, and braise for 1 hour, stirring once or twice, until the beef is completely tender and the sauce has deepened in color and flavor.

Remove the lid and let the braise simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes to reduce and concentrate the sauce. Using two forks, shred the beef directly in the pot until it pulls apart into tender, sauce-coated strands. Taste and adjust salt. Remove from heat.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the diced onion and garlic, cooking for 4 minutes until softened.

Stir in the tomato sauce and cumin, cooking for 2 minutes. Add the drained black beans and 150ml water. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, mashing a few beans against the side of the pot with your wooden spoon to create a thick, creamy consistency.

Season with salt and remove from heat. The beans should be tender and saucy, not dry.

Rinse the white rice under cold water until the water runs clear. In a rice cooker or medium pot with a tight lid, combine the rice with 600ml water and 1 tsp salt. Cook until fluffy and tender.

Slice the avocado in half, remove the pit, and cut into thin slices or wedges. Roughly chop the parsley.

To plate like Valentina: mound white rice on one side of each plate. Spoon the black beans beside the rice. Add a generous portion of the shredded beef. Arrange avocado slices and scatter parsley over the top. Serve immediately.