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Brazilian Carne Louca, plated and ready to serve

Brazilian Carne Louca, São Paulo Party Shredded Beef

Carne louca, crazy meat, is tender shredded beef tossed with peppers, onions, olives and a tangy vinegar dressing. It is the star of São Paulo birthday parties and festas, piled into small bread rolls. Here it goes into crisp lettuce cups, but it is just as good on keto rolls.
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Brazilian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 347kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 pounds beef chuck roast or bottom round
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt divided
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 cups water
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 large onion thinly sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 ripe tomatoes seeded and chopped
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup sliced green olives
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 16 butter or romaine lettuce leaves for serving

Instructions

  • Cut the beef into 3 or 4 large chunks and place in a heavy pot with 1 teaspoon of salt, the bay leaves and the water. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then cover and simmer gently for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the beef shreds easily. (In a pressure cooker, cook for 50 minutes.)
  • Lift out the beef, let it cool slightly and shred it with two forks. Save 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and bell peppers for 6 to 8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes more.
  • Add the shredded beef, the reserved cooking liquid, the vinegar and the oregano. Stir and cook for 5 minutes, until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the meat is juicy.
  • Stir in the olives and parsley and season with the remaining salt. Serve warm or at room temperature in lettuce leaves.

Notes

Carne louca tastes even better after a night in the refrigerator, when the vinegar and peppers have soaked into the beef. Bring it back to room temperature or warm it gently before serving. The mixture should be moist but not soupy, so it does not soak through the lettuce.
Chef's Tip: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a chopped malagueta chili with the garlic if you like it with a little kick.
Keto Swap: At parties, carne louca is served in small white bread rolls. Crisp lettuce cups or keto rolls keep all the flavor while cutting out the flour.
Success Tip: It is ideal for a crowd: set out a big bowl with lettuce, keto rolls and sliced cheese and let everyone assemble their own.
Nutrition is calculated from the ingredients and is an estimate per serving. Net carbs exclude fiber and allulose.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 347kcal | Protein: 26g | Fat: 24g | Fiber: 2.1g
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