Ropa vieja means 'old clothes' in Spanish — the shredded beef supposedly resembles rags. It is the national dish of Cuba, a braise built from flank or skirt steak that becomes so tender after two hours that it pulls apart into long, tender strands without effort. The resulting dish — beef mixed back into the pepper and tomato sauce it cooked in — is one of the great comfort foods of the Caribbean.
Cuban Ropa Vieja Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.2kg (2.6 lb) beef flank steak or skirt steak
- 3 tbsp beef tallow
- 1 large onion, halved and sliced
- 2 red bell peppers, sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 400g crushed tomatoes
- 200ml beef stock
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Fresh cilantro to serve
- Steamed rice and black beans to serve
Method
- Heat the tallow in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the beef and sear for 3-4 minutes per side until well browned. Remove.
- Reduce heat to medium. Cook the onion and peppers for 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, and oregano. Cook 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and stock. Stir. Return the beef.
- Cover and simmer over low heat for 2 hours until the beef is very tender and shreds easily with two forks.
- Remove the beef to a cutting board. Shred into long strips with two forks.
- Return the shredded beef to the sauce. Discard the bay leaves. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve over steamed rice with black beans and fresh cilantro.
Is ropa vieja seed oil free?
Yes with tallow. Traditional Cuban cooking used lard and tallow before the industrialisation of cooking oil.
What cut of beef?
Flank or skirt steak are traditional — their long, coarse muscle fibres produce the characteristic shredded texture. Chuck also works and produces a slightly different texture.
Can I make it in a slow cooker?
Yes. Complete the searing and vegetable steps on the stovetop, then slow cook on Low for 8 hours.
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