Ropa Vieja
Cuban cuisine is one of my favorites. Unfortunately, where I live, there are no Cuban restaurants nearby. Instead of having to go on a road trip to experience one of my favorite meals, I’d rather make it at home. This is one of my go-to dishes when entertaining. I serve it alongside my Stewed Black Beans and Arroz Blanco. Not to toot my own horn, but for an Italian-American, I make a slamming Ropa Vieja! (TOOT TOOT!)
Ropa Vieja
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch strips
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch strips
- 1 Spanish onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 1 ½-pound flank steaks
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 1 ¼ cups pureed tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- In a large Dutch oven, warm the oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the bell peppers, onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook until lightly caramelized, for 10 to 15 minutes; transfer the vegetables to a bowl.
- Pat the flank steaks with paper towels to remove any excess moisture and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Working one at a time, sear the steaks on both sides; transfer to a plate.
- Add the broth, and with a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits.
- Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, cumin and vinegar and stir to combine; bring to a simmer.
- Return the steaks and vegetables to the Dutch oven, cover with a lid and cook until very tender, about 4 hours.
- Use a fork to shred the flank steaks into shreds.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste; serve.
Notes
The stringiness of the pulled flank steak is why ropa vieja translates to “old rags.” Braised flank steak has a little more bite and chew than you may be used to. If you’re looking for a more tender cut, swap out the flank for chuck.
