Recipe

Cuban Ropa Vieja

Name: Cuban Ropa Vieja
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 100 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 500 g beef flank; Water, for the broth; 1 onion cut into julienne; ½ red bell pepper cut into julienne; ½ green bell pepper cut into julienne; ½ yellow bell pepper cut into julienne; 4 cloves of garlic; ½ cup beef broth; 1 tablespoon lard; 2 bay leaves; 1 cup tomato sauce; 2 tablespoons oil; Salt, to taste; Pepper, to taste

Shredded beef flank stewed in a sofrito of garlic, onion, peppers, and tomato. The classic Cuban ropa vieja, served with white rice and plantains.

CiberCubaJanuary 22, 2007

CiberCuba

Preparation20 min
Cooking1 h 40 min
Total time2 h
Servings4 servings
DifficultyEasy

Ropa vieja is a typical Cuban dish made with shredded beef, preferably flank, cooked in a tomato sauce with peppers, onion, garlic, and spices.

Its origin lies in the dish of the same name prepared in various regions of Spain, such as Andalusia, Castile, and the Canary Islands. There, some versions include fried chickpeas or potatoes, but they all share something in common: it is a dish of resourcefulness, made with leftovers from other meals. It is also widely eaten in other American countries, such as Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, or Venezuela, sometimes under different names, but essentially it is the same dish.

Method

Make a broth with a good piece of beef flank, water, and your preferred ingredients.
Cook the meat until you can shred it easily.
Remove the meat, shred it, and set aside ½ cup of the broth. Reserve the rest for other preparations.
Prepare a sofrito with the oil, crushed garlic, onion, peppers, and tomato sauce.
When the sofrito is ready, add the shredded meat and the ½ cup of broth. Cook covered so that the meat fibers absorb the broth and the sofrito.
Adjust the salt and pepper to your taste.
Let everything simmer a bit longer until the sauce reduces to your liking. Serve hot.
CiberCuba