Best Ropa Vieja Recipes

ROPA VIEJA (CUBAN BEEF)

Steps:

• Cut flank steak in half across the grain. Mix salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Season both sides generously with the salt mixture.
• Heat olive oil in a pot over high heat. Add steaks and cook until outsides are well browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove steaks to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add red onion, garlic, and more of the salt seasoning. Cook and stir until starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cloves, and allspice. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Pour in white wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth.
• Return beef and accumulated juices to the pot. Season with salt and add bay leaves. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beef is almost fork-tender, not falling apart, about 2 hours.
• Remove pot from heat and let stew cool to room temperature, at least 45 minutes. Refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight, for best results.
• Remove beef to a plate and set stew over medium heat. Tear beef along the grain into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-wide shreds; place back in the stew. Add bell peppers, poblanos, smoked paprika, capers, olives, and sugar. Stir together and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until peppers are soft and meat is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat, remove bay leaves, and stir in cilantro.

ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Pat the flank steak completely dry with a paper towel. Cut in half or thirds (across the grain) if needed to fit into your pot in a single layer. Season with 2 teaspoons salt.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add the steak in a single layer and cook until a deep brown crust develops, 5 to 8 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate and set aside.
• Add the onions and peppers to the same pot. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few cracks black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano; stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it starts to develop color, about 1 minute. Add the vino seco to deglaze and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the tomato sauce, beef stock and bay leaf. Stir to incorporate. Nestle the steak in the sauce, submerging it slightly. Be sure to add any accumulated juices from the plate.
• Cover and cook in the oven until the meat shreds easily with two forks, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Transfer the pot back to the stovetop. Remove the steak to a cutting board or medium bowl and shred into long thin pieces using two forks. Meanwhile, simmer the sauce over low heat until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Return the steak to the pot and stir to combine. Add the lime juice and olives, capers or pimientos, if using.
• Serve with white rice and black beans.

SLOW COOKER ROPA VIEJA (CUBAN SHREDDED BEEF)

Steps:

• Rub each side of the steak with Adobo seasoning. Place in slow cooker.
• Slice peppers, onion and garlic and add to the slow cooker along with the olives.
• Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and add to the slow cooker.
• Cook on low for 8 hours.
• When cooked, remove the meat from the slow cooker and finely shred with 2 forks. Return the shredded beef to the sauce in the slow cooker and stir.
• Cook the shredded beef on low in the slow cooker another 20 minutes.
• Serve over rice.

ROPA VIEJA IN A SLOW COOKER

Steps:

• Pierce the beef roast to tenderize it and let the flavors in, and place it into a slow cooker with the garlic, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, yellow onions and sweet onions. Stir in the tomato paste and red wine vinegar. Sprinkle with the garlic powder, seasoned salt, salt, and ground black pepper.
• Cover, and cook on Low until the beef is tender, 7 to 8 hours. Remove beef, and shred into long strands using two forks. Return the meat to the slow cooker and combine with the vegetables.
• Cook on Low until the meat and vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes.

ROPA VIEJA (CUBAN MEAT STEW)

Steps:

• Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Season meat with Adobo. Add steak to pot and cook in batches, flipping once, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate. Lower heat to medium. Stir in onions and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add sofrito and garlic to pot; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in 3 cups of water, tomato sauce, Sazon, beef bouillon and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. Return beef to pot. Lower heat to medium low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Stir in olives and capers. Cover pot; simmer until meat shreds easily with fork, 1 - 1 1/2 hours, adding more water in 1/4 cup measurements, if pot becomes dry. Transfer meat to work surface; shred meat with two forks. Bring remaining sauce to a boil. Mix meat and cilantro into sauce. Serve with white rice.

SLOW-COOKER ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Combine the tomatoes, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, cumin, jalapeno and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. Add the steak, bell peppers and onion and toss to coat. Cover and cook on low, undisturbed, 8 hours.
• Uncover and skim off any excess fat. Coarsely shred the meat with 2 forks, then stir in the olives and olive brine. Serve over rice.

EASY ROPA VIEJA STEW

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown beef in oil on all sides. Transfer meat to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add onions and peppers. Combine tomatoes, water, garlic, cilantro, beef bouillon, pepper, cumin and oregano; pour over vegetables., Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender. Remove beef; cool slightly. Skim fat from cooking juices; stir in olives. Shred beef with two forks and return to slow cooker; heat through. Serve with rice if desired. Freeze option: Transfer individual portions of stew to freezer containers and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if necessary.

SLOW-COOKER ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Preheat a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. Season steak generously with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high. Add steak and cook until browned on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.
• Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeno, and cumin seeds; season with salt and pepper and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Pour mixture over steak in slow cooker; cover and cook on high until very tender, 5 hours (or on low 10 hours).
• Transfer steak to a platter; cut in half crosswise. Using two forks, shred meat. Transfer sauce to skillet; cook over high heat until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in shredded meat, olives, and capers with brine; cook just until heated through, 2 minutes more. Top with cilantro and serve, with rice and plantain chips.

CUBAN ROPA VIEJA - CROCK POT (OAMC)

Steps:

• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Brown the flank steak on each side, about 4 minutes per side.
• Transfer beef to a slow cooker.
• In a large bowl, mix together the beef broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, onion, bell pepper, garlic, cilantro, olive oil and vinegar.
• Stir until well blended.
• Pour over flank steak in slow cooker.
• Cover, and cook on High for 4 hours, or on Low for up to 10 hours.
• When ready to serve, shred meat and serve with tortillas or rice.
• If freezing ahead: Don't brown the meat, just put ingredients in a ziploc bag and place in freezer, flattened. (I like to fit it into a bowl that will fit into the crockpot, but you don't have to.
• To cook from frozen: Thaw in refrigerator if desired (or put in frozen). Cook as directed above. If cooking from frozen add time for thawing.

ROPA VIEJA (BRAISED BEEF, PEPPERS, AND ONIONS)

Steps:

• To braise beef: In a 5-quart kettle combine all braising ingredients and simmer, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours, or until beef is tender. Remove kettle from heat and cool meat in liquid 30 minutes. Transfer meat to a platter and cover. Strain braising liquid through a colander, pressing on solids, into a bowl. Return braising liquid to kettle and boil until reduced to 3 cups, about 30 minutes. Stew may be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Cool braising liquid completely and chill it and the beef separately, covered.
• In kettle cook green bell peppers and onion in 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.
• While vegetables are cooking, pull meat into shreds about 3 by 1/2 inches. To onion mixture add shredded meat, 2 cups braising liquid, tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes.
• While stew is simmering, in a large skillet cook red and yellow bell peppers in remaining 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir peppers into stew with enough additional braising liquid to thin to desired consistency and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in peas and olives and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
• Serve ropa vieja with yellow rice.
• To make the yellow rice: In a heavy 3-quart saucepan heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté cuminseed 10 seconds, or until it turns a few shades darker and is fragrant. Stir in saffron and rice and sauté, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until rice is coated well. Stir in water and salt and boil rice, uncovered and without stirring, until surface of rice is covered with steam holes and grains on top appear dry, 8 to 10 minutes more. Remove pan from heat and let rice stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.

AUTHENTIC CUBAN SHREDDED BEEF, "ROPA VIEJA" CUBANA

Steps:

• 1. Put brisket in a large pot of cold water add half onion, half green pepper, 1 bay leaf, 3 cloves garlic smashed or crushed and 1 tsp salt cover and cook for about four hours over medium flame until brisket is fork tender and is falling apart. If you have a pressure cooker You can do the same as above; cover and pressurize for one hour. When finished cooking; release steam carefully; remove meat and allow to cool then with two forks beging ripping pieces of meat into shredds with the forks pulling each apart until all is shredded completely. Set aside
• 2. Next in a large deep skillet or saute pan heat the olive oil over medium heat; add the rest of the diced onion, green pepper, remaing garlic, (be sure garlic is smashed or put through a garlic press) saute these veggies until onion is translucent; next add the parsley, cilantro, diced roasted pimento, should only use one pimento, continue to saute until parsley and cilantro are limp. Next add the olives and the wine to the sauteed veggies, continue to saute for about a minute; now add the tomato sauce; ketchup, worcestershire sauce; vinegar; lime juice; bay leaf, and all the dry seasonings. oregano, cumin powder,sazon goya packet,garlic powder,goya adobe seasoning,remaining tsp salt, black pepper,and stir very well. Keep cooking for about 2 minutes until all the seasonings are well mixed into the sauce. Now add the 1/2 cup beef broth. Stir very well and let simmer for about one more minute. Taste a little of the sauce to see if it has enough salt and seasonings you may want to add a little more salt or pepper or a little bit more of ketchup and a kiss of cayanne pepper if you like. If you like a little kick. It's up to your taste liking.
• 3. Now add the meat to the sauce and mix very very well ensuring that the meat is well mixed with this sauce. Saute the meat with the sauce for about three minutes; over a medium low flame so the sauce marries with the meat. Cover with a tight lid lower the flame to very low and leave like this for three minutes. After three minutes have passed uncover mix real good again, and serve on top of fluffy white Cuban rice or my white lime rice. Serve with the fried plantains and a salad. This shredded beef is delicious. Enjoy
• 4. I like to eat the left over shredded beef on toasty Cuban bread the next day or you can serve on toasted French or Italian bread either way it is wonderful. Buen Appetito Save the remaining beef broth for making soup the next day or freeze for another dish.

ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Season beef or pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over high until lightly smoking. Working in batches as needed, cook the meat in a single layer, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch, reducing heat as necessary if the oil smokes excessively.
• Add braised peppers and onions, tomatoes, olives, raisins, capers and chicken stock. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, cover with the lid slightly cracked, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping any crust that has formed at the edges of the pan back into the liquid, until meat is completely tender and shreds easily with two forks, about 2 1/2 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Shred meat with two forks, and serve immediately with white rice, black beans and hearty greens. Ropa vieja can also be shredded, allowed to cool, and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week. It will improve in texture and flavor with time.

ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• In a large pot, put the flank steak, garlic, yellow onions, 1 tablespoon of the oregano, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves and 2 ounces each of the red wine and Worcestershire. Add water to cover the ingredients by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, cut back to a simmer and cook for 3 hours, until the flank steak is falling apart.
• Remove the flank steak from the pot, cut into 3-inch sections and set aside. Strain the beef broth and reserve for a later step.
• Wipe out the pot and coat with the olive oil. Add the red onions, white onions, green peppers, red peppers and the remaining tablespoon oregano. Cook over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring every couple minutes.
• Add the flank steak back to the pot, along with the tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, reserved beef broth and the remaining red wine and Worcestershire. Bring to a boil, cut back to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
• Add the olives, peas and tomatoes to the pot. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving over coconut rice or white rice.

SLOW COOKER ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook beef roast in the hot oil until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer roast to a slow cooker. Pour tomatoes and beef broth over roast; add onions and bell peppers.
• Mix tomato paste, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, cumin, and salt together in a bowl; pour over onions and bell peppers.
• Cook on High for 1 hour. Decrease heat to Low and cook until beef is tender enough to shred, about 8 hours.
• Remove beef from slow cooker and shred on a work surface using 2 forks. Return shredded beef to slow cooker; add cilantro and stir.
• Cook on Low for 1 hour more.

CUBAN ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels., In same skillet, heat drippings over medium-high heat; brown steak in batches. Transfer meat and bacon to a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, beef stock, tomato paste, garlic, seasonings and vegetables; pour over meat. Cook, covered, on low 7-9 hours or until meat is tender. Shred beef with two forks; return to slow cooker. Stir in cilantro. Remove with a slotted spoon; serve with rice., Freeze option: Freeze cooled meat mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Microwave, covered, on high in a microwave-safe dish until heated through, gently stirring and adding a little stock or water if necessary.

SLOW-COOKED ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Cut steak into 6 pieces; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; brown meat in batches. Transfer meat to a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. Add broth, vermouth, wine and tomato paste to pan. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Pour over meat., Top with onion, carrot, red pepper, Cubanelle pepper and oregano. Cook, covered, on low until meat is tender, 8-10 hours. Remove oregano sprigs; discard. Remove meat; shred with 2 forks. Return to slow cooker; heat through. Serve with rice and, if desired, additional oregano, lime wedges and green olives.

CUBAN ROPA VIEJA (CROCK POT)

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients except steak, alcaparrado and cilantro in a 3½-qt or larger slow-cooker. Top with steak; turn steak over to coat with mixture.
• Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or until steak is very tender. Transfer steak to a cutting board.
• Remove and discard bay leaf. Tear steak in shreds using the two-forks method. Return shreds to cooker; stir in olives and chopped cilantro and serve.

ROPA VIEJA CROCK POT RECIPE

Steps:

• 1. Cut meat into thin strips. Season with salt and adobo if using. Can brown meat in a heavy skillet with a few tablespoons of oil if you would like. I normally just add most of the ingredients together to slow cooker.
• 2. Add all ingredients to slow cooker on high for 4 hours or set to low for 6 hours except cilantro and olives.
• 3. After 4 hours stir in cilantro and olives.
• 4. Serve with white rice. Traditionally also served with stewed black beans.

ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• To braise beef:
• In a 5-quart kettle combine all braising ingredients and simmer, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours, or until beef is tender. Remove kettle from heat and cool meat in liquid 30 minutes. Transfer meat to a platter and cover. Strain braising liquid through a colander, pressing on solids, into a bowl. Return braising liquid to kettle and boil until reduced to 3 cups, about 30 minutes. Stew may be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Cool braising liquid completely and chill it and the beef separately, covered.
• In kettle cook green bell peppers and onion in 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.
• While vegetables are cooking, pull meat into shreds about 3 by 1/2 inches. To onion mixture add shredded meat, 2 cups braising liquid, tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes.
• While stew is simmering, in a large skillet cook red and yellow bell peppers in remaining 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir peppers into stew with enough additional braising liquid to thin to desired consistency and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in peas and olives and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
• Serve ropa vieja with yellow rice.
• To make the yellow rice:
• In a heavy 3-quart saucepan heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté cuminseed 10 seconds, or until it turns a few shades darker and is fragrant. Stir in saffron and rice and sauté, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until rice is coated well. Stir in water and salt and boil rice, uncovered and without stirring, until surface of rice is covered with steam holes and grains on top appear dry, 8 to 10 minutes more. Remove pan from heat and let rice stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.

SHREDDED STEAK WITH PEPPERS, ONIONS AND TOMATOES (ROPA VIEJA)

Steps:

• Cut the flank steak into large pieces and place them in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the adobo and the Worcestershire sauce to make a paste. Rub the paste into the meat, add the beer, and let marinate for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
• Transfer the meat, as well as the marinade to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meat is tender, about 3 hours.
• Remove the meat from the pot and reserve the cooking liquid. Using 2 forks, shred the meat and set it aside.
• Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, peppers, scallions, and tomatoes and cook until they are soft, 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and meat to the pan along with 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid. Cover and simmer until the juices cook down, about 15 minutes.
• Combine all ingredients.