Cuban Ropa Vieja Recipe
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
2 hrs 15 mins
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Servings
8
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Cuban
Cuban Ropa Vieja Recipe
Description
This Cuban Ropa Vieja recipe begins by seasoning and searing flank steak to develop a browned crust, then simmering it gently in beef stock infused with onion, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves. The long, low-temperature braising breaks down fibers for tender meat easily shredded by forks.
A flavorful sauce is prepared separately by sautéing julienned onions, garlic, and colorful bell peppers with cumin, oregano, and bay leaves, then deglazed with dry white wine and blended whole peeled tomatoes. This sauce is combined with the shredded beef, fresh cilantro, and sliced pimento-stuffed olives providing bright, savory notes and layered complexity.
The texture of Ropa Vieja balances tender shredded beef with softened vegetables and a rich, tomato-based sauce with mild spice and herbaceous fragrance. It works well served over rice or with beans, as part of a traditional Cuban meal.
Prepare ahead and hold warm for up to an hour before serving. Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 4 days or freeze well for up to 3 months. Reheat gently with some sauce and optionally add water or stock to loosen. Adding celery and carrots to the braise adds extra flavor. Save the flavorful braising liquid as a cooking broth or sauce base.
Ingredients
For the Beef:
- 2 pounds flank steak
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion peeled, large diced
- 6 garlic smashed cloves
- 10 peppercorns
- 2 bay leaf
- 6 cups beef stock
- salt coarse salt and cracked pepper to taste
- black pepper coarse salt and cracked pepper to taste
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion peeled julienne
- 6 garlic thinly sliced cloves
- 1 red bell pepper seeded, julienne
- 1 green bell pepper seeded, julienne
- 1 teaspoon cumin ground
- 2 teaspoons oregano dry
- 2 bay leaf
- ½ cup white wine dry
- 1 15 ounce whole peeled tomatoes pureed, canned
- 2 tablespoons cilantro fresh, minced
- ½ cup green olives pimento stuffed, sliced
Instructions
- Slice the steak in half and then in half again.
- Place it on a plate or sheet tray and generously season all sides with salt and pepper.
- Pour the 2 tablespoons of oil into a large rondeau or sauce pot and heat over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
- Add in the seasoned beef and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until well browned.
- Set the steak to the side on a plate and in the same pan add in 1 large diced yellow onion and sauté over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until well browned. Be sure to scrape the fond off the pan while cooking these to release more flavor.
- Stir in the garlic smashed cloves and cook for 30 to 45 seconds or just until fragrant.
- Deglaze with beef stock and add in the 2 bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, and seared beef and cook covered over low to medium heat for about 90 to 120 minutes or until very tender and shreds apart with ease.
- Once the beef is done cooking, remove them from the pan and use two forks to shred into long thing shreds. Strain the braising liquid and set it to the side.
- With about 30 to 40 minutes left in the cooking process add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive to a rondeau or sauce pot and low to medium heat and caramelize the 1 julienne yellow onion while occasionally stirring, which takes about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Next, stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant which takes about 30 to 45 seconds.
- Turn the heat up to medium high and add in the peppers and sauté for 4 to 6 minutes or until they start to get a little brown on them.
- Stir in the cumin and oregano, and then deglaze with the white wine and cook it until it is completely absorbed, which takes 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir the shredded beef along with the pureed tomatoes, 1 ½ cups remaining braising liquid, and season with salt and pepper to the pan of peppers and onions and cook covered over low to medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes to infuse the flavors.
- Finish with chopped cilantro and sliced green olives.
- Serve by itself or with the classic white rice, Cuban Black Beans, and Maduros.
Notes
- Hold cooked Ropa Vieja warm over very low heat for up to 1 hour before serving.
- Store leftovers refrigerated for 3-4 days or freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight refrigerated before reheating.
- Reheat with some sauce over low heat, adding water or beef stock if needed to loosen texture.
- Adding chopped celery and carrots to the braise enhances flavor; strain braising liquid to use as sauce or stock.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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