Salpicon de res recipe from Mely Martinez

1. To make the beef: Place the meat, onion half, garlic cloves, and bay leaf in a medium stockpot. Cover with water and the lid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let simmer until the meat is tender and can be easily shredded with a fork, about 2 1/2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a small bowl, mix the oil and vinegar until emulsified. Crush the oregano with your fingers and add it to the dressing. Season with salt and black pepper.
3. Transfer the cooked meat to a large bowl to cool for about 20 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, finely shred the beef using two forks and season with salt and black pepper.
4. To assemble the salad: Place the shredded beef in a large serving bowl and gently toss with the lettuce, sliced onion, radishes, tomato, and olives.
5. Garnish with the avocado slices, drizzle with the dressing, and serve with the corn tostadas and pickled jalapenos and carrots.

• You can cook the meat in an Instant Pot or a pressure cooker for 45 minutes on the “manual” setting on high pressure. You can also cook it in a slow cooker for about six hours on the high setting.
• Traditionally, white vinegar is used for the dressing, but I prefer the flavour of sherry vinegar in this salad.
• I like to serve this salad with small cups of the beef broth that the meat was cooked in as a side dish. To try this, after removing the cooked meat from the broth, add a small sprig of thyme to the broth and let simmer for 15 minutes. Serve the broth.

Pickled jalapeno peppers and carrots recipe

1. In a large non-aluminum pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced carrots and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently; their colour will change to a bright orange. (Do not overcook the carrots because they need to retain some crunchiness.)
2. Add the jalapenos, garlic, and onion to the pot. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the vinegar, 1 cup (240 ml) of water, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram, oregano, peppercorns, allspice, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let gently simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let the ingredients cool for a few minutes.
4. Divide the contents of the pot (both the vegetables and the liquid) evenly among four sterilized pint-size (16 ounces/454g) glass canning jars with lids. Tightly screw on the lids and let the jars completely cool before storing them in a cool, dry place, like a pantry.
5. These pickled peppers can be consumed immediately after they cool. If you use canning jars and their special lids, they can be stored for 9 to 12 months in a pantry or cupboard. Once you open a jar, store it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 months and close the lid tightly after every use.

• You can slice the carrots in rounds or diagonal slices, as long as they have a uniform thickness so that they all cook evenly.
• You can pickle the peppers whole, without slicing them. You will need to make a small incision in them to keep them from bursting during the cooking process.
• If you prefer to use fresh herbs, substitute the dried thyme with 4 sprigs of fresh thyme and the dried marjoram with 2 sprigs of fresh marjoram.
• Other vegetables you can add to this pickle, along with the carrots, are cauliflower florets, small whole mushrooms, and squash cut into 1/3-inch (8.5mm) rounds. Add these vegetables in step 2. These pickles are great served as an appetiser.