Cuban Recipe For Ropa Vieja Recipe For Chicken

CHICKEN ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Place chicken, bell pepper, tomatoes, carrots, and half of garlic into the slow cooker. Add just enough chicken broth to cover the chicken and vegetables and add the bay leaves. Cook high for 4 hours, or low 6 to 8 hours, until the chicken is tender.
• When done, remove chicken and shred with two forks; set aside. Discard vegetables and reserve the broth for later.
• In a large deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic, sliced onions, green peppers, and red peppers. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft.
• Stir in the tomato paste and wine, let it cook 2 to 3 minutes then add the cooked chicken, tomato sauce, and about 3/4 cup of the reserved broth to create a sauce. Season with cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• Cover and simmer on low for about 8 to 10 minutes, adding more broth and seasoning if needed. Makes 4 cups.

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.

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.

CHICKEN ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Place chicken, onion, tomato, carrot, and 2 cloves of garlic into a large pot. Add water to cover, then bring to a boil. Skim and discard the foam that has floated to the surface. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered until the chicken is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Place the chicken into a bowl and shred it into strips as thick as a pencil; set aside. Strain the cooking liquid and discard the vegetables.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, onions, green peppers, and red peppers. Cook and stir until the vegetables have softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomato puree, white wine, chicken, and enough of the reserved broth to create a thick sauce. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes more to reduce the sauce slightly and coat the shredded chicken.
• Cooks Note.
• The chicken breasts may be cooked in a slow cooker, covered, on High for 3 to 4 hours.

CHICKEN ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Place chicken, onion, tomato, carrot, and 2 cloves of garlic into a large pot. Add water to cover, then bring to a boil. Skim and discard the foam that has floated to the surface. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered until the chicken is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Place the chicken into a bowl and shred it into strips as thick as a pencil; set aside. Strain the cooking liquid and discard the vegetables.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, onions, green peppers, and red peppers. Cook and stir until the vegetables have softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomato puree, white wine, chicken, and enough of the reserved broth to create a thick sauce. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes more to reduce the sauce slightly and coat the shredded chicken.

EASY SLOW-COOKER CHICKEN ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Place the first 7 ingredients and 1 teaspoon adobo in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Rub the remaining adobo seasoning over chicken; add to slow cooker. Cook, covered, on low until chicken is tender, 5-6 hours. Using 2 forks, shred chicken. Stir in lime juice to taste; heat through., Meanwhile, heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook plantains in batches until tender and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels., Serve chicken with plantains using a slotted spoon. If desired, serve with rice, lime wedges and cilantro.