Slow-cooked beef in a delicious Cuban Sauce with onions, peppers, garlic, olives and capers!
Ropa vieja is a tasty dish that originated in Spain and is popular in Cuba. This is a stew in which beef is cooked slowly in a tomato sauce with onions, peppers and garlic. The beef, typically flank steak, is cooked until it falls apart delicately before being shredded and mixed with everything else. The stew is seasoned with cumin, Paprika, and oregano with notes of Allspice and cloves. Olives, capers and a hint of vinegar complete the whole thing and the combination of all these flavors is incredibly delicious! I like to serve Ropa Vieja over rice with a side of beans. This recipe makes a big batch, which is good because all the leftovers taste even better the next day!
Slow-cooked beef in a delicious Cuban Sauce with onions, peppers, garlic, olives and capers!
Ingredient
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3 pounds of beef (flank, lining, brisket, etc.)
1 onion, cut into thin slices
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin slices
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin slices
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin slices
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons sweet Paprika
1/8 Teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups beef broth
1 (14.5 oz.) can of crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons Oregano
2 bay leaves
1 cup Green olives (optionally sliced)
2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or lime juice)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Direction
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the beef and brown on all sides before setting aside.
Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan and cook until tender for about 7-10 minutes. (Add more olive oil if necessary.)
Add Garlic, tomato paste, cumin, Paprika, Allspice and cloves, and cook until fragrant, about a Minute, mix as it boils.
Add the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, oregano and bay leaves and mix before adding the beef.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered until the beef falls apart tender, about 2 hours.
Remove the beef from the pan, chop and mix again with the olives and capers and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the vinegar and season with salt and pepper before mixing and enjoying the cilantro!
Slow Cooker: Follow steps 1-4, place them in a slow cooker and cook them on low for 6-10 hours or on high for 2-4 hours.
- Option: Add 1/4 cup diced roasted red peppers towards the end for extra sweetness!
- Option: add 1/4 cup of raisins!
Note: the leftovers taste even better the next day!
Nutritional information: calories 462, fat 42g (saturated 15g, Trans 0), cholesterol 159mg, sodium 632mg, carbohydrates 11g (fiber 3G, sugar 4G), protein 33g