Ropa Vieja
This a beloved traditional Cuban dish. It’s name translated to “old clothes.” It is named for this because when the meat is shredded, it looks like old clothes. The meat is stewed in tomatoes and in this case, green pepper, onions, garlic and some green chilies. It is topped with pimentos for some added color at the end. Some versions of this dish also add some green olives. My husband is not a big fan, so no green olives here, but feel free to add them if you like.
I have mentioned before my husband is Cuban, so I had a little help on this one. This is the version we came up with. It is streamlined and delicious. We and sazon seasoning here. You can find it in the ethnic aisle of the supermarket. It is sold in a small box with packets. It is very flavorful and adds that magic flair to rice, soups and many other dishes. If you can’t find it, there are several recipes online on how to make your own spice mix. It is also available in a few varieties online.
Ropa vieja is usually made with flank steak, which needs some time to cook and become tender. I have seen a lot of recipes for making ropa vieja in the crock pot. That method will definitely get that flank steak tender, but we wanted to do it the old fashioned way, so here goes. It may not be 100% traditional, as we put our own twist on it. But it really was tender and juicy. We ate this over white rice as tradition calls for. The leftover- if you have any- would be amazing in tortillas.
This served my family of five 2 adults and 3 kids. If you are serving mainly adults feel free to double the recipe.
Ropa Vieja
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
- 2 onions one finely chopped, the other cut in half
- 1 green pepper finely chopped
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1 10 oz can tomatoes and green chilies
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 packet sazon seasoning
- 1 cup broth which the beef was cooked in
- pimentos optional for serving
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan add the flank steak ( you can cut in half if it doesn't fit), one onion cut in half and a bay leaf. Cover the meat with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium , Cook for one hour or until the meat is tender.
- While the meat is cooking, chop the remaining onion, garlic and green pepper.
- Once the meat has cooked set it aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid and reserve 1 cup. You can save the rest of the broth for another use. Once the meat has cooled, shred it.
- In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic and green pepper. Saute until the onions are translucent- about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and sazon seasoning and saute for about a minute until the tomato paste caramelizes a bit.
- Add the broth from the meat, the tomatoes and chilies, and the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add back the shredded meat. Simmer for 30 -45 minutes.
- Add frozen peas and cook an additional few minutes. Taste for seasoning.
- Top with pimentos and serve,
