Cuban Meat Stew Ropa Vieja Recipes

ROPA VIEJA (CUBAN BEEF)

Steps:

• Cut flank steak in half across the grain. Mix salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Season both sides generously with the salt mixture.
• Heat olive oil in a pot over high heat. Add steaks and cook until outsides are well browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove steaks to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add red onion, garlic, and more of the salt seasoning. Cook and stir until starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cloves, and allspice. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Pour in white wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth.
• Return beef and accumulated juices to the pot. Season with salt and add bay leaves. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beef is almost fork-tender, not falling apart, about 2 hours.
• Remove pot from heat and let stew cool to room temperature, at least 45 minutes. Refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight, for best results.
• Remove beef to a plate and set stew over medium heat. Tear beef along the grain into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-wide shreds; place back in the stew. Add bell peppers, poblanos, smoked paprika, capers, olives, and sugar. Stir together and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until peppers are soft and meat is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat, remove bay leaves, and stir in cilantro.

ROPA VIEJA (CUBAN MEAT STEW)

Steps:

• Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Season meat with Adobo. Add steak to pot and cook in batches, flipping once, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate. Lower heat to medium. Stir in onions and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add sofrito and garlic to pot; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in 3 cups of water, tomato sauce, Sazon, beef bouillon and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. Return beef to pot. Lower heat to medium low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Stir in olives and capers. Cover pot; simmer until meat shreds easily with fork, 1 - 1 1/2 hours, adding more water in 1/4 cup measurements, if pot becomes dry. Transfer meat to work surface; shred meat with two forks. Bring remaining sauce to a boil. Mix meat and cilantro into sauce. Serve with white rice.

CUBAN MEAT STEW (ROPA VIEJA)

Steps:

• Season steak with Adobo.
• In large skillet, heat oil on medium high, brown meat on both sides, remove and keep warm.
• Lower heat to medium, add garlic, onion and green pepper, cook-stirring often for about 10 minutes.
• Stir in black pepper and tomato sauce and cook, stirring often for about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the sofrito, water, sazon and bouillon and bring to a boil.
• Return the meat to the pan, cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring it occasionally.
• Add in the capers and olives, continue to simmer covered, until the meat is tender and shreds easily.
• This should take about 1-1/2 hours.
• You can add more water 1/4 cup at a time if the sauce gets too dry.
• To serve, shred the meat with 2 forks and mix back into sauce.

CUBAN BEEF STEW OR ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Cut beef into 1 1/2 inch cubes.
• In a heavy bottomed oven-safe 3-4 quart casserole dish, add together the beef cubes, water, vinegar, bay leaf, cinnamon, clove, and annatto seeds.
• Over medium heat bring to a simmer.
• Cover and braise the meat mixture in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, turning the meat once.
• In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat.
• Sauté the onions for 2 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the garlic and sweet pepper strips.
• Sauté for 1 minute stirring constantly.
• Stir in the tomatoes, carrots, cayenne, cilantro and salt.
• Bring to a full simmer, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often.
• With a slotted spoon remove meat and place in a warm bowl. Cover.
• Strain the meat cooking liquid into the tomato-based sauce, and discard spices.
• Simmer sauce for 15 minutes.
• Shred the beef using forks.
• Stir beef into sauce and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.
• Transfer to a warm serving bowl and serve.

CUBAN ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Brown the flank steak on each side, about 4 minutes per side.
• Transfer beef to slow cooker.
• Pour in the beef broth and tomato sauce, then add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, cilantro, olive oil and vinegar.
• Stir until well blendedl.
• Cover, and cook on High for 4 hours, or on Low for up to 10 hours.
• When ready to serve, shred meat, and serve with tortillas or rice.

EASY ROPA VIEJA STEW

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown beef in oil on all sides. Transfer meat to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add onions and peppers. Combine tomatoes, water, garlic, cilantro, beef bouillon, pepper, cumin and oregano; pour over vegetables., Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender. Remove beef; cool slightly. Skim fat from cooking juices; stir in olives. Shred beef with two forks and return to slow cooker; heat through. Serve with rice if desired. Freeze option: Transfer individual portions of stew to freezer containers and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if necessary.