Thank you to Lindsay for sponsoring this post.
This “ultimate” version of Cuba’s most famous dish is positively PACKED with flavor!! Make a double batch while you’re at it and you’ll be glad you have the leftovers!
Shredded beef and vegetables that resemble a heap of colorful rags – that’s Ropa Vieja. From the Spanish term for “old clothes”, this is one of Cuba’s most popular and beloved dishes. So popular in fact that it’s one of the country’s designated national dishes.
This dish dates back to the Middle Ages of Spanish Sephardi, a loose adaptation of a dish that remains popular in southern and central Spain. Traditionally it was a way to stretch the leftovers of stews such as puchero or cocida, both of which are garbanzo-based dishes as is the original Spanish version of Ropa Vieja. This dish was later taken to Cuba where the Cubans made it their own.
Central in this dish are beef and tomatoes, both naturally umami-rich ingredients. Added to that are zesty bell peppers, caramelized onions, and to that we’re going to add some additional ingredients and spices that will make your taste buds sing with joy!
Before we continue let’s talk BEEF.
Traditionally Ropa Vieja is made with flank steak.
Have a look around the internet at all the ropa vieja recipes and virtually all of them call for flank. That piqued my curiosity because here’s the thing: Flank steak is from the bottom hard-working muscle area of the cow (ie, very lean/very little fat) so it not only has less flavor than some other cuts of beef, it’s also notoriously tough.
Because of its low fat content, flank steak is best suited to very quick, high heat cooking, like grilling. It’s not the best choice for braising or slow cooking because without the fat content and connective tissue it dries out during the cooking process. For all of these reasons flank steak used to be one of the cheaper cuts of beef. But in recent years the price has sky-rocketed and in many places is double the cost of chuck.
But flank still continues to be used in nearly all ropa vieja recipes out of tradition because of its shape – the grains of the cut yield long strands of shredded beef resembling the dish’s namesake, torn clothing.
Flank steak is unique in that respect with those long tough strands. But I wasn’t willing to sacrifice tenderness, flavor or cost for the sake of having long shreds of beef. So I went to three different butcher shops and chatted with their butchers. First I wanted to see their reaction when I told them I was looking for flank steak for a low and slow-cooked dish. All three raised their eyebrows and asked me why on earth I’d want flank steak for that. They all shook their heads and said that, hands down, the best choice for slow-cooked shredded beef was chuck. Better texture, better flavor and at nearly half the price of flank.
Chuck works so well for slow cooking because the long cooking time over low heat breaks down the cartilage, melts the fat and keeps the beef moist while also adding a ton of extra flavor. It’s by far the most popular beef cut of choice for slow cooking and shredding.
So what about the aesthetics element, those long strands of beef you get from the flank steak? Chuck has short strands that after slow cooking and shredding typically look less pronounced and are mushier. The way around that: Simply ask the butcher to cut you a piece of chuck that is taller than it is wider (the height running with the direction of the grains). That way you’ll get longer strands along with a deliciously flavorful, tender and moist shredded beef.
Today we’re going to make some ultimate Ropa Vieja with a wonderfully rich depth of flavor! In the end you’ll have to make your own judgment call, but I’m pretty confident you’re going to love it!
And at the same time we’re going to take a shortcut and braise the meat in the sauce rather than the traditional method of braising it in water, shredding it and then adding it to the sauce. Doing it the first way releases those flavorful juices from the beef directly into the sauce and saves us a lot of time. To mimic the extra step of making a separate stock, we’re also going to add whole carrots, celery and bay leaves and then discard them at the end, infusing the sauce with some umami qualities and natural sweetness from the vegetables.
For our ropa vieja recipe we’re also adding an array of other classic Cuban and Spanish ingredients such as olives, pimientos and capers. In addition to the red bell pepper that’s caramelized with the onions, we’re also going to add roasted red bell pepper in the end for added smokiness, sweetness and flavor. Lindsay makes all of these fabulous products and we’re using them all to give this dish a wonderful flavor boost.
You may be wondering, “what’s the difference between pimientos and red bell peppers? Aren’t they the same thing?”
A pimiento, also called pimento or cherry pepper, is a variety of red chili pepper that is sweeter and more aromatic than red bell peppers (though some varieties of pimientos are hot). They add a nice element of natural sweetness and flavor to this dish.
All of these ingredients combined with delicious spices result in a truly unforgettable Ropa Vieja – it’ll become a staple dish in your home!
Ropa Vieja only tastes better the next day as the flavors have more time to meld, so this is a perfect dish to make in large batches for leftovers!
Let’s get started!
Pat the beef dry and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Once very hot add the beef and brown generously on all sides.
I’m using my Le Creuset Dutch oven. I also have the Lodge Dutch oven which is a fraction of the price. I love both of them and use both on a regular basis.
Transfer the beef to a plate. Do not discard the drippings and blackened bits in the pot, they are key to the flavor.
Thinly slice the onions and bell peppers.
Add the sliced vegetables to the pot and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until caramelized.
Add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute.
Add the white wine and bring it to a rapid boil, deglazing the bottom of the pan (scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan).
Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Return the roast to the pot along with the pieces of carrots and celery. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 3-4 hours or until the beef is fork tender and falls apart easily.
Oh, the aroma as you remove the lid!
Discard the celery, carrots and bay leaves.
The sauce is deeelicious!
And it’s only going to get better after we’ve added the remaining ingredients.
Transfer the beef to a plate and shred it with two forks.
Return the shredded beef to the sauce.
And see that beef? We’ve got our long strands of shredded beef PLUS all the flavor that richly marbled chuck is known for.
Stir in the olives, roasted red peppers, capers and pimientos.
I just want to take another look at all those gorgeous colors!
Simmer uncovered to thicken the sauce for 30 minutes.
Oh, heavenly sauce, how I love thee!
Stir in the parsley and add salt and pepper to taste.
Your Ropa Vieja is ready to serve.
And its flavor only improves the next day!
Serve with steamed or yellow rice and black beans.
Enjoy!
Ultimate Ropa Vieja (A National Dish of Cuba)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chuck ask your butcher to cut it taller than wider so you get long strands of beef along the grain or flank steak (see discussion in this post about cuts of beef)
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 of each large green red and yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth chicken broth has a stronger/deeper flavor than beef broth
- 1 16 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large carrot cut in half
- 1 large stalk celery cut in half
- 1 cup Lindsay Naturals Green Olives rinsed and drained (you can slice them if you prefer)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced Lindsay Roasted Red Peppers drained
- 1/4 cup Lindsay Pimientos drained
- 2 tablespoons Lindsay Capers rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Pat the beef dry and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat a little oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Once very hot add the beef and brown generously on all sides. Transfer the beef to a plate. (Do not discard the drippings and blackened bits in the pot, they are key to the flavor.)
- Add the sliced vegetables to the pot and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until caramelized. Add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute. Add the white wine and bring it to a rapid boil, deglazing the bottom of the pan (scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan).
- Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Return the roast to the pot along with the pieces of carrots and celery. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 3-4 hours or until the beef is fork tender and falls apart easily. Discard the celery, carrots and bay leaves.
- Transfer the beef to a plate and shred it.
- Stir in the olives, roasted red peppers, capers and pimientos. Simmer uncovered to thicken the sauce for 30 minutes. Stir in the parsley and add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Thank you to Lindsay for sponsoring this post and to my readers for supporting the brands who make The Daring Gourmet possible!
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Jay Young says
Kimberly, My wife gave me an Instant Pot for my birthday, and I trying to find ways to use it for my favorite recipes. Can you give me some advice on how I could use the pressure cooker function to make the Ropa Vieja? Thanks so much.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jay, I wish I could help but I’m one of the few out there who doesn’t have or use an Instant Pot! Perhaps one of our readers can offer some insights…
Barbara says
I absolutely love your recipe!!! This has been my family’s all time favorite for years. Well I just joined the Instant Pot nation and was searching for away to convert your recipe. Have you had any updates on this? Thank you for sharing your amazing talent!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Barbara! No updates I’m afraid. You may have to pioneer the Instant Pot conversion on this one :)
Angela says
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I started cooking a few days ahead for a graduation party. My family taste-tested the sauce and gave me high-fives! It’s hard to find flank steak where I live, so I opted for Boston butt pork, which shreds nicely, and I believe a true Cuban would appreciate this dish. Tomorrow I aim to slow cook the black beans I’ve soaked and start making yellow rice from scratch. I hope to find recipes as helpful and on spot as this one.
By the way, for the record, we just ate at a local authentic Cuban restaurant to taste the ropa vieja and picadillo. We preferred the heartiness of the ropa vieja—-at first bite, I literally jumped for joy, because this recipe tastes like the Leo’s, the Cuban restaurant owner!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy to hear that, Angela, thank you, and I hope the graduation party is a success!
Jess says
I made this last night and it was wonderful! My 15 yr old said it was the best dinner ever. I served it with yellow rice and black beans. Sooo good. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad to hear that, Jess, thank you!
Ken Clark says
Okay…I came across your recipe after my son said he had picked this dish to bring to school for a class project. I look at the ingredients and my first thought was…he has lost his mind, that’s too much cooking for a class project. After I cooked it and tried some before he took it to school…OH MY…I was hooked. Awesome dish!!! I tried it again a few days afterwards, but I used chicken instead of beef and I love the chicken more. Either way, we have found our new favorite dish.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That is so awesome, Ken! Your son has great taste and you’re an awesome dad for having taken this on. I’m so glad you enjoyed it and hope your son’s class did as well. I’ll bet it was delicious with chicken too, especially with dark meat/bone-in pieces. I’ll have to try it! Thanks for the feedback!
~Tammy~ says
My (grown but at home) sons went to help my mother in Texas for a few days. They came back taking about a dish called Ropa Veija Grandma had made. I asked for the recipe, and she said she’d seen it in a magazine, but had actually looked online when she decided to make it, and advised me to “just look up “Old Clothes” and look through the recipes.
I found YOUR recipe for this, which was NOT the one my Mom had made for the guys.
At our house, this recipe is my secondary “go to” roast recipe. I added a few touches of my own, and we have this at least every other month! The first couple of times, I left out the green olives, as I was not an olive fan. Last time, i had some olives on the side- and OH MY! What was I afraid of? Today’s pot has everything! (plus a bit of ginger and cinnamon!)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s fantastic, Tammy, I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that, thanks so much!
Jessica A. says
This is worth writing a review. I’ve been cooking for 35yrs and am known for my cooking. With almost every recipe, I adjust but there was no need. This recipe is divinley delicious. I’m very particular about cooking and I cannot say enough. This is a must try recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That is a compliment indeed, Jessica, thank you so much for the feedback!
Laura Seutz says
Hi Kimberly, I am writing this as this wonderful dish is simmering away! It not only was fun to make, it looks and smells delicious!! I have a question – instead of simmering on the stove, what do you think about doing the simmering part in a crockpot?
Thanks again for such an incredible dish! Laura
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Laura, that’s exciting!! Yes, you can absolutely cook it in a crockpot for the simmering portion. I’d aim for the usual 6-8 hours on LOW or 4-5 hours on HIGH. Happy eating! :)
Scoop says
Have tried a variety of Ropa Vieja recipes and this one is now my favourite. I live in Panama and we enjoy it here as well. The key is cooking down the peppers and onions, then adding the spices and liquid so that you already almost have the sauce. The added jarred peppers and olives elevate this dish and give it a zing it needs.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s awesome, Scoop, thanks so much for the feedback!
Roger Alan says
Ropa vieja with paprika and cloves?
This is the ONLY recipe for ropa vieja I’ve ever seen with those ingredients, and the result was predictably regrettable.
So, no, sorry, and to each his/her own, but these are NOT flavors I associate with this classic dish I’ve been eating for nearly 50 years.
If you want a classic rope vieja, stay away from this one.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I couldn’t agree more, Roger: This ISN’T a “classic” ropa vieja nor does it claim to be. Note the title of the recipe: “Ultimate Ropa Vieja.” This recipe is for those who want to venture beyond the basic version and experience a massive boost in flavor. Agreed, if you just want the basic ropa vieja, look elsewhere. Cheers.
Mike Thompson says
Absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!! Made the recipe as written and had some friends over for dinner. Not a drop of it was left and everyone was asking for the recipe. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Mike, I’m so glad it was a hit, thank you!
Kristyn says
Wow..this looks so tasty!! I have never tried it, but I am excited to! Looks packed with so much flavor!
Sommer says
I love trying new recipes especially when they turn out as wonderful as this one!
Cheryl Sousa says
Easy recipe packed with flavor!! thanks for a great recipe
Katerina says
Oh my goodness, this looks incredibly delicious!! I can’t wait to try this recipe!!
Kellie H says
Love the bold, vibrant flavors in this easy recipe!
Carleen says
Hi,
I don’t know if I did something wrong, but I had to add like 3-4x as much water to it than the recipe called for. It kept getting dehydrated 🤔 Just thought I’d mention it in case other people have had similar issues.
Smells delicious though. Can’t wait to taste it!
Anonymous says
I followed the recipe exactly, but when I took the meat out to shred it didn’t shred very easily. I typically only do shredded meat in the crockpot or very low oven, so I’m wondering what I could have done wrong. When we get to the step to cover on summer for 3-4 hours, can we put it in a low oven instead? Would that make it shed better? Otherwise, everything is delicious, just a little tough on the meat.
Phyllis says
WONDERFUL !!
As I was enjoying this recipe, I had and idea of substituting catfish, because it reminded me of Catfish Courtboullion, but these ingredient would make it Catfish Courtboullion on steroids. Have you ever tried the sauce ingredients with fish. I thawed out fish this morning and will make it over the weekend, except to sub catfish for the beef. I understand that would totally not go with the “name” of the dish. Will come back here to let you know how it came out. By the way, would there be a recipe for what I am describing? I just know it will be as wonderful with fish and I cant wait to make it.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s a fabulous idea, Phyllis, definitely let us know how it turns out!
Vicky says
I made this yesterday and it was really delicious. It was a little greasy but that’s probably from the chuck I used. I might try skirt or flank steak the next time.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Vicky, thanks for the feedback!
Lori says
I actually made the dish this evening so posting a true review not just based on yummy looking pics. This is so flavorful and colorful and it goes well with yellow Cuban rice! Love Cuban food and your recipe was easy to follow! Thank you for sharing it will be on my favorites list!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks for the feedback, Lori, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!