Cuban Ropa Vieja (shredded beef that looks like rags)

I love this dish and I love the name. It refers to the fact that the shredded meat looks like "rags", literally, "old clothes". It is tender and delicious and points to the fact that immigrants from cuba cooked a cheap cut of beef until it was so tender that you thought it was expensive.

3/5 pounds of beef chuck or pot roast
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup of olive oil
1 cup of water
1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced.
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed.
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 cup of tomato sauce
1 t. salt
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry wine

Rub salt and pepper into the meat. Heat a large covered frying pan or stove-top casserole and add a bit of the oil. Brown the meat well o both sides, and then add about 1 cup of water. Cover and simmer until very tender, about 2 hours. If the pan dries out during the cooking, add more water. Allow the meat to cool, covered, in the pan juices. Remove the meat from the pan; debone and shred the meat. Set aside in a bowl, along with the pan juices.

Reheat the pan and add the remaining oil. Saute the onion and garlic, just until clear. Add the green pepper and saute for a few minutes more. Add the remaining ingredients, including the shredded meat and juices. Cover and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes more. Serve with rice or salad.

Wow, and I am fasting.

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