Ropa Vieja Cuban Beef 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.

ROPA VIEJA RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Cut flank steak into large pieces that will fit on the bottom of a Dutch oven in 2 batches. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, add steak and cook, turning, until browned, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer steak to a plate and set aside.
• Stir in tomato paste, cumin, oregano, and allspice and cook, stirring and scraping, for 1 minute.
• Cover Dutch oven and transfer to oven, then let cook until beef is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Stir in olives, return Dutch oven to medium heat, and simmer until juices have reduced just enough to coat the beef in a rich, saucy glaze. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cilantro, then serve with rice and beans.

SLOW-COOKER ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Preheat a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. Season steak generously with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high. Add steak and cook until browned on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.
• Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeno, and cumin seeds; season with salt and pepper and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Pour mixture over steak in slow cooker; cover and cook on high until very tender, 5 hours (or on low 10 hours).
• Transfer steak to a platter; cut in half crosswise. Using two forks, shred meat. Transfer sauce to skillet; cook over high heat until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in shredded meat, olives, and capers with brine; cook just until heated through, 2 minutes more. Top with cilantro and serve, with rice and plantain chips.

SLOW COOKER ROPA VIEJA (CUBAN SHREDDED BEEF)

Steps:

• Rub each side of the steak with Adobo seasoning. Place in slow cooker.
• Slice peppers, onion and garlic and add to the slow cooker along with the olives.
• Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and add to the slow cooker.
• Cook on low for 8 hours.
• When cooked, remove the meat from the slow cooker and finely shred with 2 forks. Return the shredded beef to the sauce in the slow cooker and stir.
• Cook the shredded beef on low in the slow cooker another 20 minutes.
• Serve over rice.

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.

CUBAN SHREDDED BEEF ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• 1. In a large skillet or pot, place 6 cups of 2 lbs of flank steak, beef broth, vegetable oil, cloves, garlic, cumin, fresh cilantro, bay leafs,, and salt to taste. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours, until beef is tender.
• 2. Remove from meat from heat and reserve broth. Once meat has cooled down, shred and reserve.
• 3.Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, red and green bell pepper. Sauté until the onions become translucent.
• 4. Add the garlic, salt and continue to cook for about 2 additional minutes. Add the tomato puree and 1 cup of reserved broth, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.
• 5.Stir in the shredded beef, reduce the heat to low, and cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes.
• 6. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with white rice, black beans and fried plantains.