Yuca and Cheese Fritters with Tomato Tree Shredded Beef and Crunchy Cabbage Avocado Salad

Name: Yuca and Cheese Fritters with Tomato Tree Shredded Beef and Crunchy Cabbage Avocado Salad
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Comida Latinoamericana
Ingredients: 1.5 lb beef flank; 3 cups water; 1 1/4 cups white onion; 4 cloves garlic; 1 leaf bay leaf; 1 3/4 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 1/2 cups tamarillo; 1 cup red bell pepper; 3/4 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tbsp grated panela; 1.75 lb yuca; 4 oz fresh cheese; 3 tbsp cornstarch; 1 large egg; 1/4 cup scallions; 4 cups red cabbage; 1 large avocado; 1/3 cup fresh cilantro; 3 tbsp lime juice; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

An original Latin American recipe featuring golden yuca and cheese fritters, shredded beef in a mellow tamarillo, cumin, and bell pepper sauce, served with a fresh cabbage, avocado, and lime salad. It offers contrasting textures and a homey, vibrant flavor profile.

30 minPrep

75 minCook

105 minTotal

4Servings

Gluten-FreeHigh Protein

Ingredients

Adjust servings

700 g beef flank (without exceso of grasa)
750 ml water (for cocer the res)
180 g white onion (divided: mitad for cocción and mitad for sauce)
12 g garlic (divided)
1 unit bay leaf
10 g salt (or to taste, divided)
3 g black pepper (divided)
45 ml vegetable oil (divided)
240 g tamarillo (pelado and chopped)
120 g red bell pepper (chopped fino)
2 g ground cumin
1 g dried oregano
30 g tomato paste
12 g grated panela
800 g yuca (pelada and en trozos)
120 g fresh cheese (desmoronado)
24 g cornstarch
1 unit egg
20 g scallions (chopped fino)
200 g red cabbage (finely grated)
200 g avocado (diced)
15 g fresh cilantro (chopped)
45 ml lime juice (freshly squeezed)
15 ml apple cider vinegar

Nutrition facts

per serving

655 kcal

Calories

35 g

Protein

43 g

Carbs

37 g

Fat

7 g

Fiber

36 g

Net carbs

Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.

Allergens

DairyEggs

Instructions

1
1. Place the beef flank in a pot with the water, half of the white onion, half of the garlic, the bay leaf, 4 g salt, and 1 g black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 60 minutes, or until the meat is tender and easy to shred. Reserve 250 ml (1 cup) of the cooking broth.
2
2. Remove the beef from the pot and shred it with two forks. Discard the bay leaf and reserve the cooked onion if you want to blend it into the sauce later.
3
3. While the beef cooks, place the yuca in another pot with enough water to cover and a pinch of salt. Cook until very tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Drain, remove the woody core if present, and mash until you get a thick puree.
4
4. For the sauce, heat 15 ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining onion, remaining garlic, and red bell pepper. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until softened.
5
5. Stir in the tamarillo, ground cumin, dried oregano, tomato paste, grated panela, 3 g salt, and the remaining black pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, then add 250 ml (1 cup) of the reserved broth and cook for 8 to 10 more minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
6
6. Add the shredded beef to the sauce and mix well so it absorbs the flavor. Cook over low heat for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust salt if needed.
7
7. Preheat the oven to 220 °C / 425 °F. Line a baking sheet or lightly grease it with some of the vegetable oil.
8
8. Mix the warm mashed yuca with the fresh cheese, cornstarch, egg, scallions, and 2 g salt. Shape into 8 round, slightly thick fritters. Place them on the tray, brush or drizzle with the remaining vegetable oil, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes at 220 °C / 425 °F, flipping halfway through, until golden.
9
9. For the salad, combine the red cabbage, avocado, fresh cilantro, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Toss gently just before serving to keep the texture crisp.
10
10. Serve the tamarillo shredded beef with the freshly baked yuca and cheese fritters and the crunchy cabbage avocado salad.

Chef tips

For a silkier sauce, blend the tamarillo with the cooked onion from the pot before adding the beef. The yuca should be very soft so the fritters hold together well.

Substitutions

You can swap the flank for brisket or shredded chicken. Fresh cheese can be replaced with low-moisture shredded mozzarella, and red cabbage can be replaced with green cabbage.

What I used to make it

Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.

Illustrative image
Ninja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
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Illustrative image
Cosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
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Illustrative image
TempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
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