Ropa Vieja
This Cuban dish is a delight for the eyes and for the tongue. The name means Old Clothes since it looks like colorful torn rags in the pot with the long strings of beef, onion, and peppers. Don’t let the long ingredient list intimidate you, this dish takes some time but it’s easy to make.
For the best flavor, I cook this over two days, but you can make it in one day if you need to.
The meat choice depends on how authentic you want to be. Flank steak is the traditional meat for Ropa Vieja and it will give you better and longer shreds. Chuck roast will give you a similar flavor profile, is really a better cut for braising, and will cost about half as much as flank steak. You could also make this with pork shoulder or with chicken thighs; it may not be traditional, but it will still be delicious.
Here is a a few other tweaks that I have made. Some recipes add capers, but I prefer to add pimentos because visually they go well with the bell peppers. White vinegar is a common addition, but I prefer to use apple cider vinegar to make it a little more rustic. I like to add Worcestershire sauce for a little added savory flavor; while this isn’t Cuban, it is commonly used in the Nicaraguan version of this dish. Sugar is often added to offset the acidity of the tomatoes, peppers, and vinegar, but I like to use molasses.
Ropa Vieja
Ingredients
- 2-3# of flank steak or chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 4 equal pieces
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions, halved and sliced thin
- 4-8 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 4 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp Allspice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 16 oz can of diced or whole tomatoes
- 1 16 oz can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2 cups of stock, I prefer beef but you could use chicken
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 bell peppers, green & red, cut into ½-inch-wide strips
- 1 cup pitted large brine-cured green olives, sliced in half crosswise.
- 1 small jar pimentos, drained
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp molasses or brown sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp dried parsley and/or cilantro
- Cooked white rice and 1-2 cans of black beans, drained.
Instructions
- Cut and trim the beef, pat dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Wrap and place in the fridge to dry brine for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Heat oil in in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Thoroughly brown the beef on all sides and then remove to a plate.
- Add the onion to the Dutch oven and salt it generously. Cook until caramelized, 10-15 minutes. The moisture from the onions will begin to deglaze the bottom of the Dutch oven.
- Add the garlic and spices, stir through and cook until fragrant.
- Add the white wine, and stir until the alcohol is cooked off.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, crushed tomatoes and stock and finish deglazing the bottom of the Dutch Oven.
- Add the tomato paste and bay leaves and stir through.
- Add the beef and nestle it into the liquid.
- Bring to a low boil and then put into the oven for 2 hours.
- Optionally, and for the best flavor, allow this to cool and place in the fridge overnight.
- Remove the beef from the pot and shred with 2 forks.
- Put the beef back into the Dutch oven and add the peppers, olives, pimentos, vinegar, and brown sugar. Simmer for at least 30 minutes uncovered to thicken the sauce.
- Add the parsley and check for salt and pepper.
- During the last 30 minutes, cook enough white rice for 6-8 servings, cooking the black beans together with the rice.
- Serve the Ropa Vieja with the rice and beans.