Cuban recipe

Cuban Completa with Ropa Vieja, White Rice, Black Beans, Ripe Plantains and Avocado

Name: Cuban Completa with Ropa Vieja, White Rice, Black Beans, Ripe Plantains and Avocado
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 160 min
Ingredients: 1 kg beef flank; 1 large onion, in one piece for the broth; 3 garlic cloves, for the broth; 2 bay leaves; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 2 medium onions, in thin strips; 2 green bell peppers, in strips; 1 red bell pepper, in strips; 5 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 cup tomato sauce; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; ½ cup dry wine; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 tablespoon vinegar; 1 cup of the broth from cooking the meat; Salt and pepper to taste; 1 cup dried black beans (about 200 g), soaked from the night before; 5 cups fresh water for cooking the beans (more if needed); 1 bay leaf; 1 small whole green bell pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 small onion, chopped; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; ½ green bell pepper, chopped; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 tablespoon vinegar; Salt to taste; 2 cups long-grain white rice

The complete plate of the Cuban table: shredded beef ropa vieja, fluffy white rice, black beans, fried ripe plantains and fresh avocado.

CiberCubaNovember 11, 2026

AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Preparation40 min
Cooking2 h
Total time2 h 40 min
Servings4 servings
DifficultyMedium

This is Cuban food at its most complete: a combination plate where each component is cooked separately and served together, just as on any Sunday table. The star is the ropa vieja made with beef flank, cooked until it shreds and then stewed in Creole sauce.

It is served with fluffy white rice, black beans stewed with sofrito (served on the side here, not mixed with the rice, so this is not congrí), fried ripe plantains that bring a sweet contrast, and fresh avocado that lightens the whole plate.

This is a recipe for making the most of the day: it takes some organization and patience, but the pot does almost all the work. It is ideal for a family meal, a Sunday, or any occasion when you want to bring the most recognizable flavors of Cuban cooking to the table.

Method

Ahead of time

The night before, put the black beans in a bowl, cover them with plenty of cold water and let them soak for 8 to 12 hours.

Meat and beans

Drain the beans and put them in a pot with 5 cups of fresh water, the bay leaf and the whole green bell pepper. Cook over medium-low heat for about 60 to 75 minutes, until tender, adding hot water if needed.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Meanwhile, put the beef flank in a pot with enough water to cover it, the onion in one piece, the 3 garlic cloves, the bay leaf and salt. Cook over medium heat for about 90 minutes, or 35 minutes in a pressure cooker, until it falls apart with a fork.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Remove the meat, let it cool slightly and shred it into thin strips along the grain. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking broth.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Creole sauce and ropa vieja

In a wide skillet, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions, bell peppers and garlic over medium heat for about 8 minutes, until soft and glossy.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, wine, cumin, oregano and vinegar. Cook for 10 minutes so the sauce thickens and the flavors come together.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Add the shredded meat and the cup of reserved broth. Adjust the salt and pepper and cook over low heat for about 15-20 minutes, until the meat is juicy and well coated in sauce.

Sofrito for the beans

In a skillet, heat the oil and sauté the onion, garlic and bell pepper until translucent. Add the cumin, oregano and a few spoonfuls of mashed beans to thicken.
Pour the sofrito into the pot of beans, add the vinegar and salt, and cook over low heat for about 20 more minutes, until you have a thick, flavorful broth. Remove the bay leaf and the bell pepper.

White rice

Heat the oil in a pot with the whole garlic cloves, add the unwashed rice and stir for one minute. Pour in the water and the salt and raise the heat until it boils.
When the water has almost evaporated, lower the heat to the minimum, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, let it rest covered for 5 minutes and fluff the grains with a fork.

Ripe plantains and assembly

Peel the ripe plantains and cut them into diagonal slices 1 cm thick. Fry them in medium-hot oil for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden and caramelized. Drain them on paper towels.
Halve the avocados, remove the pits and cut them into slices. Season them with a pinch of salt and a few drops of lemon juice just before serving.
On each plate, serve a portion of white rice and a portion of black beans, kept well apart, the ropa vieja with its sauce, the ripe plantains and the avocado slices. Bring to the table right away.

Tips and variations

Organization: start with the beans (soaked the night before) and the meat, which take the longest. While they cook, prepare the sofrito and the rice, and make the ripe plantains last so they reach the table hot.

Beans: this recipe uses dried black beans, soaked from the night before. If you use cooked beans from a can or jar, drain them and stew them for only 20 minutes with the sofrito and a little of their liquid.

Ropa vieja: the sauce improves from one day to the next. If the meat is dry, add a little of the cooking broth; if it is too watery, let it reduce a few more minutes over medium heat.

Ripe plantains: choose very ripe plantains with very black skins so they caramelize. Fry them in medium-hot oil: if the oil is too hot, they burn on the outside and stay raw inside.

Storage: the ropa vieja and the beans keep for 3 days in the refrigerator and reheat well. The rice and the ripe plantains are best freshly made. Cut the avocado just before serving.