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ropa vieja
Cuban Scran

Authentic Ropa Vieja (Cuban Shredded Beef Recipe)

This ropa vieja or Cuban shredded beef in tomato sauce recipe is a version of the classic dish from the famous 1965 cookbook "Cocina al minuto"
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Using a pressure cooker 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 6 portions
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Canary, Cuban, Latin
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g beef bavette or flank steak (brisket or rump if you can’t find it) cut into four/five pieces
  • 1 cube beef stock
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ brown onion thinly sliced into half rings
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled
  • ½ red bell pepper thinly sliced into sticks
  • ½ green bell pepper thinly sliced into sticks
  • ½ cup passata (or another unflavoured tomato sauce)
  • ½ cup dry cooking wine or sherry (or another dry wine)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano

Equipment

  • 1 deep saucepan or pressure cooker - to cook the beef until soft
  • 1 sautéing pan (26 cm diameter) - to cook the shredded beef in tomato sauce

Method
 

  1. Cut the meat in four pieces and place them in the saucepan or pot of the pressure cooker. Season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Boil one litre of water and add the beef stock cube to mix it through. Add a portion of the stock to the saucepan or pot until the meat is covered. Cook in the hobs on a low simmer for 90 minutes approximately, if using a saucepan. In the pressure cooker this time is reduced to 25-30 min. In both cases, after the cooking time the meat should be tender to later being shredded.
  2. Leave the meat to cool down in a separate container. Keep the remaining stock in the freezer to use in other dishes. Once the meat has cooled down shred it apart with the help of two forks or using the hands. Reserve the shredded meat for later.
  3. Crush the garlic cloves with a mortar and pestle or with the flat surface of a knife. Take the half onion and thinly slice it in half rings. Cut the peppers into thin sticks. Then heat a little oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté the garlic and onion for about 1 min or until the onions are translucent. Then add the peppers with a pinch of salt and keep sautéing for another minute.
  4. Add the cooking wine, followed by the bay leaf, black pepper, cumin and oregano. Then add the shredded meat and mix with the other ingredients in the pan for about 30 secs. Add the tomato sauce and the salt. Mix well everything and allow to boil. Lower the heat and place the lid on the pan. Simmer slowly for about 15 min but avoiding the sauce to reduce completely. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  5. After the preparation is cooked, dispose the bay leaf. Suggested to serve the ropa vieja with white rice and fried maduros. Optionally, accompany the rice with a black beans soup.

Notes

Allergy info: always read label of pre-packaged ingredients
Servings: 5-6 people (130-156 g in each portion)
Yields: 780 g approximately
In this recipe, the Total Time of 1 hour and 55 min is calculated based on the use of a saucepan over the hobs to cook the meat slowly until tender. When using a pressure cooker for the same purpose, the Total Time reduces to 55 minutes, as this method is faster.