Portions: 6 servings Calories: 269kcal |
This lovely beef stew from Cuba is the perfect dinner dish if you love Caribbean flavors. Cuban ropa vieja has some great complex flavors but is easy to prepare and will be a rousing success at the dinner table.
Why I ā¤ļø it ā¢ Recipe ā¢ Ingredients ā¢ Video ā¢ Preparation
Cuban ropa vieja.
Why I ā¤ļø it
There's a good reason this lovely Cuban beef dish is so popular: lots of flavor, easy-to-find ingredients, and impossibly tender braised beef with a rich sauce.
Cuban ropa vieja recipe
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Utensils and tools
- Dutch oven (cast iron pot with lid) or large skillet
Ingredients
- 1Ā½ pounds [700 grams] flank steak or chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 2 cups of beef broth or chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- Ā½ teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste or 2 cups of tomato sauce
- Ā½ cup of pitted green olives (and/or black)
- 4 chopped plum tomatoes
- Fresh cilantro
Video
Preparation
Before you start, make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.
Step 1: Season and brown meat
Pat the meat with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Season the meat with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
Heat the oil in the Dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook until it has browned, turn, and brown all over.
Step 2: Cook the meat
Lower the heat to medium, and pour in 4 cups of water and broth, scraping the brown bits stuck to the pot. Add the bay leaf, oregano, and cumin.
Cover and simmer over low heat until the meat is so tender that you can pull off strands of it with a fork. This takes about 2 hours in a regular pot. Turn the meat, and add water regularly to keep the same liquid level.
Step 3: Cook vegetables
Once the meat is tender, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook and stir until the onion has turned translucent. Add the red pepper and cook until it is heated through.
Stir in the tomato paste, add the tomatoes or tomato sauce, and olives. Cover and simmer until you shred the meat.
Step 4: Shred the meat
Remove the meat from the liquid (set the broth aside), and using two forks, shred it into thin strips about the length and size of the pepper strips.
Add the shredded beef and broth to the pot, increase heat to medium-high, and let the liquids reduce until the meat is very juicy but not soupy.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 5: Serve
Remove the meat from the heat, discard the bay leaf, garnish with cilantro, and serve.
Top tips
- The meat should be cooked with just enough liquid that it doesn't burn, but we're not going to boil it, so keep an eye on it.
- The total time the meat needs to cook will depend on the quality and freshness of the meat.
- Store the leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
- Reheat the leftovers in the microwave, or by adding a few spoonfuls of water and reheating in a skillet. This tastes even better the following day!
- Leftovers ropa vieja are great as a filling to make empanadas.
Serving suggestions
You can serve ropa vieja over white rice. For a full Cuban experience, moros y cristianos (rice and black beans), is the perfect side dish, and if you can find them, some sweet plantains will complete the best Cuban meal.
Variations
Different homes have different versions of this dish. I have seen some cooked with diced potatoes, some add capers, and some add carrots and even celery. This is the version I prefer.
Nutritional information
Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 785mg | Potassium: 635mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1058IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg
FAQs
Why is ropa vieja called like that?
Ropa vieja ā a Cuban shredded beef stew ā means "old clothes" in Spanish, as the long strands of beef loosely resemble tattered rags.
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Cuban Ropa Vieja Recipe |+Video|
Ingredients
- 1Ā½ pounds [700 grams] flank steak or chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 2 cups of beef broth or chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- Ā½ teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika optional
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste or 2 cups of tomato sauce
- Ā½ cup of pitted green olives and/or black
- 4 chopped plum tomatoes
- Fresh cilantro to garnish
Instructions
Seasoning and browning
- Pat the meat with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Season the meat with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.Heat the oil in the Dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook until it has browned, turn, and brown all over.
Cooking the meat
- Lower the heat to medium, and pour in 4 cups of water and broth, scraping the brown bits stuck to the pot. Add the bay leaf, oregano, and cumin.Cover and simmer over low heat until the meat is so tender that you can pull off strands of it with a fork. This takes about 2 hours in a regular pot. Turn the meat, and add water regularly to keep the same liquid level.
Cooking vegetables
- Once the meat is tender, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook and stir until the onion has turned translucent. Add the red pepper and cook until it is heated through.Stir in the tomato paste, add the tomatoes or tomato sauce, and olives. Cover and simmer until you shred the meat.
Shredding meat
- Remove the meat from the liquid (set the broth aside), and using two forks, shred it into thin strips about the length and size of the pepper strips.Add the shredded beef and broth to the pot, increase heat to medium-high, and let the liquids reduce until the meat is very juicy but not soupy.Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serving
- Remove the meat from the heat, discard the bay leaf, garnish with cilantro, and serve.
Nutrition
By , published Jul 12 2022 on Tia Clara
Magda C.
I recently attempted your recipe for Cuban ropa vieja, and it was absolutely delightful! I am definitely planning to make it once more within the next couple of days. It was my inaugural experience with latino food, and it turned out to be scrumptious! šššš
Vicky Ana
What beef cut do you recommend for ropa vieja?
Tia Clara
Flank steak or chuck roast work great, Vicky
Candy
Canāt wait to try this. It looks great. How do I make the white rice?
Tia Clara
You can make traditional arroz blanco, or use my recipe for white rice in Instant Pot.
Ronaldo
Can I use pork?
Tia Clara
Yes, you can, although that is a non-traditional choice. š
Henry
During a Cuban holiday, I had the pleasure of being introduced to this delectable dish. Coming across this recipe is truly a lifesaver. I'll be giving it a try very soon. Thank you so much!
Lina La
Do you have a recipe for empanadas?
Tia Clara
Yes, you can use this empanada dough recipe, or this baked empanadas dough recipe.
JayRod
The way my family makes Ropa Vieja is a bit different, my grandma was from Cuba and she taught us. I have to try yours to see how it tastes.
Tia Clara
Awesome, come back and let me know how you like it.