Ropa Vieja Recipe (Cuban Shredded Beef)

5 from 1 vote

A national Cuban dish, this Ropa Vieja recipe is tender beef slowly braised then shredded to resemble "old clothes", hence the name, very delicious!

Prep Time20

Cook Time2 40

Total Time3

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Cuban

Keyword: Cuban, recipe, shredded beef

Servings:

Calories: 261kcal

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped (I like to use 4 large jalapeno peppers instead for extra spice)
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon allspice
6 ounces tomato paste
¼ cup white wine
1 cup reserved braising liquid
Salt and pepper to taste
1 roasted red bell pepper chopped, for serving
Chopped parsley and lime juice/wedges for serving

Slice the flank steak into 3 or 4 large pieces and set them into a large pot with the carrot, onion, pepper, garlic, allspice, salt, pepper, cloves and bay leaves. Add 5-6 cups water and bring to a quick boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours, or until the beef becomes tender and can easily be shredded with a fork. Cool a bit and remove the beef. Shred it with a couple of forks and set aside.
Strain the broth, but reserve 1 cup of the liquid. I like to save the rest of the broth for using in other soups or stews. It freezes perfectly.
Next, heat the olive oil in a pot and add the onion and bell pepper. Cook down about 5 minutes to soften.
Add garlic, oregano, ground cloves, allspice, and tomato paste. Cook another minute, stirring.
Add white wine, braising liquid and reserved shredded beef. Add a bit of salt and pepper as well if you’d like.
Raise the heat a bit and let the whole mix simmer about 30 minutes to let the flavors develop.
Serve the Cuban shredded beef over rice topped with roasted red pepper, parsley and freshly squeezed lime juice.

This is PERFECT with Cuban black beans. Serves 6-8.