Ropa Vieja
A slow-braised shredded flank steak stew in tomato sofrito, a signature Cuban main dish central to Miami's Cuban restaurants.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 150 min
- Total
- 170 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 410 kcal
Equipment
- •Dutch oven or heavy pot
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- fat
- 22
- carbs
- 14
- protein
- 34
- calories
- 410
Instructions
- 1
Simmer flank steak in water with a bay leaf until fork-tender, about 2 hours.
- 2
Take out the steak and save the broth. Shred the meat with two forks.
- 3
Saute the onion and bell pepper in a skillet until soft.
- 4
Add the garlic and cumin. Cook for 1 minute.
- 5
Stir in the crushed tomatoes and white wine. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- 6
Add the shredded beef and a cup of the reserved broth.
- 7
Simmer for 20 minutes until thickened. Add the olives near the end.
- 8
Serve hot over white rice.
Chef's tips
Cook the flank steak at a low simmer until it pulls apart easily with a fork, which takes over two hours. Cook down the sofrito (a flavor base of onion, pepper, and garlic) thoroughly to build deep flavor.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days; freezes well up to 3 months.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Not cooking the meat long enough, which leaves it tough to shred
- •Rushing or skipping the sofrito base, which leaves the dish with weak flavor
Serving suggestions
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