Ropa Vieja Tacos Recipes

ROPA VIEJA TACOS

Steps:

• Mix tomato sauce and dressing in pressure cooker. Top with steak, vegetables and garlic; cover with lid. Lock lid in place. Cook on medium-high heat until pressure vent locks in place and regulator begins to rock gently. Reduce heat gradually to maintain slow steady rocking motion; cook on low heat 30 min. Remove from heat. Let stand 10 min. or until pressure vent drops.
• Shred meat; place in large skillet. Cook on medium heat 2 min., stirring frequently. Meanwhile, skim fat from surface of cooking liquid in pressure cooker; ladle 2 cups liquid into medium bowl. Add vegetables; mix well. Discard any remaining cooking liquid.
• Add vegetable mixture to meat in skillet; cook 10 min. or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Spoon onto tortillas; top with cheese and cilantro.

MEXICAN ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large flameproof casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, red pepper, green pepper and garlic; cook until onion is translucent and peppers are softened, for about 8 minutes.
• Stir in cumin and oregano; cook for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and broth.
• Season steak with salt and pepper. Add steak to pot; cover and bring to simmering. Simmer about 2 hours or until meat is very tender, turning meat occasionally.
• Remove meat; let cool briefly. cut across the grain into 2-inch-thick slices. Using two forks, pull slices apart into shreds.
• Heat tomato sauce remaining in pot to rapid boiling. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add green chiles and corn. Heat to boiling; cook 5 minutes.
• Add shredded beef, jalapeno, and cilantro. Heat to boiling. Serve with warmed tortillas.

ROPA VIEJA BURGERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Add 1 tablespoon of the butter, chopped onions and bell pepper to an 8-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste is toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed tomatoes and stir well. Add the hot sauce, lemon juice and seafood boil seasoning. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Scoop up the onions and bell peppers with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Let the sauce cool.
• Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Divide into 4 equal patties and transfer to the skillet. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and flip the patties. Top each patty with 2 slices of cheese and bake just until the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron griddle over medium heat until hot. Gently toast the buns split-sides down just until they brown slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Combine the mayonnaise and up to 2 tablespoons of the cooled sauce in a small bowl and stir well. Slather 1/2 tablespoon on each of the split sides of the buns.
• Spoon the onion and peppers onto the bottom buns then top each with a burger patty.
• Top each burger with 1 tablespoon of the fried onions. Close the burgers and serve hot.

ROPA VIEJA (MEXICO)

Steps:

• Place meat in a large pan and cover with beef stock and water. Add the carrot and half the garlic along with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Skim the surface then recover the pan and cook the meat gently for 2 hours, or until very tender (should shred easily with a fork).
• Remove the pan from the heat and let the meat cool in the liquid. When cool enough to handle, remove from the liquid and shred with your fingers and a fork.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the remaining garlic, the onions, and chilies and cook until tender and onions are soft and translucent. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
• Add the meat to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat until browned and crisp. Transfer to a serving dish. Top with the onion mixture and surround with the tomatoes, cilantro, green onion and lime wedges. Serve with warmed tortillas. Enjoy!

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.

ZARELA MARTINEZ'S ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Cut the flank steak in half horizontally so it will fit into a large Dutch oven. Place it in the pot and cover it with the water. Add the six whole cloves of garlic, along with the peppercorns and salt as desired. Place over low heat and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover the Dutch oven and continue cooking over low heat, turning the meat occasionally, until it is tender and well done, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• While the meat is stewing, heat the broiler. Rinse and dry the peppers. Arrange them in a broiler pan about four inches from the flame. Roast them, turning frequently, until they are evenly blistered and charred on all sides. Transfer to a paper bag, seal it and let the peppers sit until cool enough to handle.
• Remove the cooled peppers from the bag and slice off the top of each. Scrape out the seeds and slip off the skins with your fingers (wear rubber gloves if your hands are sensitive). Slice each pepper lengthwise into strips an eighth of an inch wide. Set aside.
• When the meat is tender, remove the Dutch oven from the heat and let the meat cool in its own broth. When it cools enough to handle, remove it from the broth and place it on a cutting board. Slice the meat across the grain into strips about two inches across. Using your fingers, pull the meat into fine shreds. Return it to the cooking broth.
• Heat the lard or other fat in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until it is rippling. Crush the sliced garlic cloves and add to the hot fat. Saute for one minute, stirring frequently. Add the sliced onion and saute, stirring frequently, until it is somewhat soft, about three minutes. Add the reserved pepper strips to the pan and continue sauteing and stirring for about two minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peppers, onion and garlic to the Dutch oven. Cook the meat mixture, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the flavors are blended, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve the meat hot, rolled up in heated flour tortillas.

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

Steps:

• To braise beef:
• In a 5-quart kettle combine all braising ingredients and simmer, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours, or until beef is tender. Remove kettle from heat and cool meat in liquid 30 minutes. Transfer meat to a platter and cover. Strain braising liquid through a colander, pressing on solids, into a bowl. Return braising liquid to kettle and boil until reduced to 3 cups, about 30 minutes. Stew may be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Cool braising liquid completely and chill it and the beef separately, covered.
• In kettle cook green bell peppers and onion in 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.
• While vegetables are cooking, pull meat into shreds about 3 by 1/2 inches. To onion mixture add shredded meat, 2 cups braising liquid, tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes.
• While stew is simmering, in a large skillet cook red and yellow bell peppers in remaining 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir peppers into stew with enough additional braising liquid to thin to desired consistency and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in peas and olives and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
• Serve ropa vieja with yellow rice.
• To make the yellow rice:
• In a heavy 3-quart saucepan heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté cuminseed 10 seconds, or until it turns a few shades darker and is fragrant. Stir in saffron and rice and sauté, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until rice is coated well. Stir in water and salt and boil rice, uncovered and without stirring, until surface of rice is covered with steam holes and grains on top appear dry, 8 to 10 minutes more. Remove pan from heat and let rice stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.

RICK'S CARIBBEAN ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion and mushrooms until lightly browned. Place flank steak in the skillet, and brown on all sides. Pour in the wine. Reduce heat to low, and continue cooking 30 minutes, or until meat is very tender. Remove meat, shred, and return to skillet.
• Pour coconut milk into the skillet. Mix in sour cream, coconut flakes, brown sugar, allspice, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking 10 minutes, or until heated through.