Dzik (Yucatecan Style Salpicón De Res)

I wasn't sure if I should include today's recipe in with salad week last week, or with solar cooking week this week. This is a cold beef salad. Very traditional and full of flavor. A friend passed the recipe on to me and I am pleased to report it was amazing! Thank you Lisa. That's all I have to say. I took it on faith that this salad would blow my mind and I was definitely not disappointed.

Originally the recipe was found here:
http://www.recipezaar.com/Dzik-Yucatecan-Style-Salpicoacuten-De-Res-248709

Ingredients
1 lb flank steak or beef brisket, well trimmed and cut into 2-inch squares
1 garlic clove, peeled and quartered
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 small red onion, diced (divided use)
salt

4 large radishes, julienned
1-2 fresh habanero peppers, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped (I used jalapeno)
1 small tomato, cut into 1/4 -inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
6 tablespoons sour orange or lime juice
6 leaves romaine lettuce
1 ripe avocado, sliced

The Meat: stove top--bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan, add the squares of meat and skim off any grayish foam that rises to the top during the first few minutes of boiling. Add the garlic, bay leaves, herbs, a generous ½ teaspoon salt and half of the onion. Simmer over medium to medium-low heat for an hour or so, until the meat is tender. If there is time, let cool in the broth. Drain and discard all but the meat; then shred the meat into thin strands.

Solar oven: Put 1 cup of water, meat, onion, herbs, garlic and salt in solar oven cooking pot. I use a Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker. Cook in full sun 2 hours (over 300 degrees).
Drain and discard the liquid and shred into strands or chunks. My brisket was already sliced thin when I started so I just chinked it smaller. Traditionally it will be more "shredded".

Crock pot: Same as solar oven but put on high 3 hours.

The dzik. Combine the cooked meat, the remaining half of the onion, the radishes, chile, tomato and cilantro, and toss with the sour orange or lime juice and generous 1 teaspoon salt.

Line a platter with 4 of the romaine leaves; slice the remaining 2 to make a bed in the center. Scoop the dzik into a mound over the sliced lettuce. Decorate with slices of avocado.

Beautiful presentation and wonderful combination of earthy spice with the radish as well as the creamy fruity avocado. Well worth the effort...if you count opening a solar oven as effort. Will I make it again? You bet your life.

There you go.