Ropa Vieja

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Ropa Vieja is a very traditional Cuban dish. It literally translates to "old clothes", most likely because it resembles a pile of shredded clothes? It is surprisingly simple to make. My abuela made this dish many times growing up, and still does! I always recommend it at Cuban restaurants, you really can't go wrong with it!

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Ropa Vieja

 

Time: 30 minutes cooking time

Makes about 8 servings

 

Ingredients:

2 lbs. flank steak (boiled in stew)

⅓ cup oil

1 onion

2 garlic cloves

1 green pepper

1 can tomato sauce

1 tsp. salt

1 bay leaf

½ cup cooking wine (vino seco)

1 can sliced or diced pimientos


Prep:

  • Cook the flank steak by boiling for a couple of hours to make a broth or soup.
  • Cut the onions into thin rings and the green pepper into thin strips.
  • Mince the garlic.



Directions:

  • Shred the cooked steak with a fork.
  • In a large pot, heat the oil on medium heat and add garlic and onion. Fry until the onion softens.
  • Add the green pepper and cook for about another 3 minutes.
  • Add the shredded steak, tomato sauce, salt, bay leaf, and cooking wine.
  • Reduce to low heat and cover for 15-20 minutes. Uncover and stir occasionally so the ingredients don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
  • Stir in the pimientos.
  • Best served immediately with rice and a salad.


Notes & Comments:

  • The steak must be cooked before hand. What I did was boil it with salt, pepper, and root vegetables (malanga, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc.) in a large pot of water for a couple of hours. The vegetables can then be blended with a little bit of the water to create a hearty and delicious puree.
  • Next time I would only add half of the green pepper, it was too overwhelming in my opinion.
  • I have seen people add peas, capers, olives and other vegetables. You can also experiment with different spices like cumin and oregano. Be creative, ropa vieja is pretty versatile!






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Receta Original:

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ROPA VIEJA

 

2 lbs. de falda real (cocinada de antemano en el guiso o sopa)

⅓ taza de aceita

1 cebolla

2 dientes de ajo

1 ají grande

1 lata salsa de tomate

1 cdta. de sal

1 hoja de laurel

½ taza vino seco

1 lata de pimientos morrones

 

        Separe la carne en hilachas o hebras finas.

        Corte la cebolla en rueditas finas y el ají en tiritas. Machaque los dientes de ajo y sofríalos en el aceite caliente con la cebolla, añada después el ají y sofríalo un poco. Añada los demás ingredientes y déjelo cocinar tapado a fuego lento durante unos 15 ó 20 minutos, revolviéndolo ocasionalmente para que no se pegue. Los pimientos morrones pueden añadirse picaditos, molidos o usarse para adornar. Sírvalo con arroz blanco y una buena ensalada fresca. De 8 raciones.


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