Authentic Cuban Ropa Vieja Recipes

ROPA VIEJA (CUBAN BEEF)

Steps:

• Cut flank steak in half across the grain. Mix salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Season both sides generously with the salt mixture.
• Heat olive oil in a pot over high heat. Add steaks and cook until outsides are well browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove steaks to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add red onion, garlic, and more of the salt seasoning. Cook and stir until starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cloves, and allspice. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Pour in white wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth.
• Return beef and accumulated juices to the pot. Season with salt and add bay leaves. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beef is almost fork-tender, not falling apart, about 2 hours.
• Remove pot from heat and let stew cool to room temperature, at least 45 minutes. Refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight, for best results.
• Remove beef to a plate and set stew over medium heat. Tear beef along the grain into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-wide shreds; place back in the stew. Add bell peppers, poblanos, smoked paprika, capers, olives, and sugar. Stir together and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until peppers are soft and meat is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat, remove bay leaves, and stir in cilantro.

CUBAN ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the flank steak on each side, about 4 minutes per side.
• Transfer beef to a slow cooker. Pour in the beef broth and tomato sauce, then add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, cilantro, olive oil and vinegar. Stir until well blended. Cover, and cook on High for 4 hours, or on Low for up to 10 hours. When ready to serve, shred meat and serve with tortillas or rice.

ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Pat the flank steak completely dry with a paper towel. Cut in half or thirds (across the grain) if needed to fit into your pot in a single layer. Season with 2 teaspoons salt.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add the steak in a single layer and cook until a deep brown crust develops, 5 to 8 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate and set aside.
• Add the onions and peppers to the same pot. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few cracks black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano; stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it starts to develop color, about 1 minute. Add the vino seco to deglaze and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the tomato sauce, beef stock and bay leaf. Stir to incorporate. Nestle the steak in the sauce, submerging it slightly. Be sure to add any accumulated juices from the plate.
• Cover and cook in the oven until the meat shreds easily with two forks, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Transfer the pot back to the stovetop. Remove the steak to a cutting board or medium bowl and shred into long thin pieces using two forks. Meanwhile, simmer the sauce over low heat until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Return the steak to the pot and stir to combine. Add the lime juice and olives, capers or pimientos, if using.
• Serve with white rice and black beans.

CUBAN ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels., In same skillet, heat drippings over medium-high heat; brown steak in batches. Transfer meat and bacon to a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, beef stock, tomato paste, garlic, seasonings and vegetables; pour over meat. Cook, covered, on low 7-9 hours or until meat is tender. Shred beef with two forks; return to slow cooker. Stir in cilantro. Remove with a slotted spoon; serve with rice., Freeze option: Freeze cooled meat mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Microwave, covered, on high in a microwave-safe dish until heated through, gently stirring and adding a little stock or water if necessary.

CUBAN ROPA VIEJA - CROCK POT (OAMC)

Steps:

• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Brown the flank steak on each side, about 4 minutes per side.
• Transfer beef to a slow cooker.
• In a large bowl, mix together the beef broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, onion, bell pepper, garlic, cilantro, olive oil and vinegar.
• Stir until well blended.
• Pour over flank steak in slow cooker.
• Cover, and cook on High for 4 hours, or on Low for up to 10 hours.
• When ready to serve, shred meat and serve with tortillas or rice.
• If freezing ahead: Don't brown the meat, just put ingredients in a ziploc bag and place in freezer, flattened. (I like to fit it into a bowl that will fit into the crockpot, but you don't have to.
• To cook from frozen: Thaw in refrigerator if desired (or put in frozen). Cook as directed above. If cooking from frozen add time for thawing.

CUBAN ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Brown the flank steak on each side, about 4 minutes per side.
• Transfer beef to slow cooker.
• Pour in the beef broth and tomato sauce, then add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, cilantro, olive oil and vinegar.
• Stir until well blendedl.
• Cover, and cook on High for 4 hours, or on Low for up to 10 hours.
• When ready to serve, shred meat, and serve with tortillas or rice.