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Ropa Vieja

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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 12 hours 30 minutes
Servings 6 -8

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.