Ropa Vieja
Ropa Vieja is a classic dish popular in Cuba but is traced back to the Canary Islands in Spain. It resembles a heap of rags, which is why its name translates to “old clothes”. Legend says a man was too poor to feed his children, so he shredded his clothes and cooked them for hours. After patiently waiting, it magically turned into a meaty stew. It is made with flank steak, peppers, and spices, and always served with rice and black beans. I learned to make this dish in Havana from a woman who cooked in a private restaurant called a paladores. Her kitchen was steaming hot, but a cold beer made it a little more bearable while we chopped onions and peppers for our feast. Once the meat was tender and juicy, we scooped it onto a mound of rice and black beans and sat outside to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Although this dish takes some time to prepare, it’s worth more than its weight of “old clothes”!
Ingredients
Serves 6
Ropa Vieja:
3 pounds flank steak
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons ground oregano
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 16 ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup green olives, sliced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Process
Season steak with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven on stove over high heat. Add the steak and brown on both sides. Transfer meat to a plate. To the pot, add the sliced onion and peppers and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the garlic and spices and cook another minute. Add chicken broth and tomatoes and simmer for another five minutes.
Return the steak to the pot and cover. Reduce heat to medium low cook for 2 hours until beef is very tender. With 2 forks, shred the steak and stir in olives and parsley. Serve with rice and black beans.
