Venezuelan Shredded Beef

Why this dinner works

Most weeknight one-pot dinners ask you to choose between two evils: a five-ingredient bowl that tastes like the inside of a saucepan, or a recipe so layered it eats your entire evening. Venezuelan Shredded Beef sits comfortably in the middle. It draws on Venezuela traditions where building flavor in stages — aromatics, then spice, then the slow swell of liquid into starch — is just how dinner gets made on a regular Tuesday.

The whole thing comes together in about 79 minutes in a single instant pot, which means dinner from idea to table is shorter than most podcast episodes. We've leaned on the everyday 14 ingredients listed below, but in the notes after the recipe you'll find the small swaps and shortcuts that make this dish forgiving when your fridge is half-empty.

Method

1. Step 1. Season beef with salt, pepper and minced garlic
2. Step 2. Chop 1 onion in 4 big wedges
3. Step 3. Place in the beef pressure cooker with the 4 wedges of onion and the stock
4. Step 4. Pressure cook for 20 minutes
5. Step 5. Release the pressure and open the lid
6. Step 6. Remove the beef and SAVE 2 cups of stock in another container
7. Step 7. With 2 forks, shred the beef. Beef should be tender enough to so easily. If not, cook for another 10 minutes
8. Step 8. Press the saute button of the Instant pot. Add the olive oil
9. Step 9. When the machine beeps, add the sliced onion, pepper and tomatoes. Cook until tender
10. Step 10. Add the shredded beef back in the pot and mix
11. Step 11. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of the saved stock, the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, ketchup and cumin. Mix
12. Step 12. If sauce seems to dry, add a tad more of stock
13. Step 13. Season with salt and pepper
14. Step 14. Serve!

Cook's notes

One pan, fewer dishes. Use the widest, heaviest instant pot you own with a tight-fitting lid. The wider base means faster browning at the start; the lid traps the gentle steam that finishes the dish without scorching the bottom.

Salt as you go. Season the aromatics, season the protein, season the liquid before it reduces. By the time you taste at the end, the only adjustment is usually acid — a squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, a final crack of pepper.

Make it ahead. Like most one-pot dinners with venezuela roots, the leftovers are arguably better the next day. Cool quickly, refrigerate within two hours, and reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen things back up.

Pairings & serving

This one feels best in a 6-bowl spread with a sharp green salad and something cold to drink. If you want to stretch it for unexpected company, double the liquid and a single starchy ingredient — rice, pasta, potatoes, depending on the recipe — and the whole pan grows without much extra work.

Watch it cooked

If you're a visual learner, there's a free walkthrough of this dish on YouTube.

Original recipe inspiration: source.