Best 7 Cuban Flank Steak And Pepper Stew Recipes

ROPA VIEJA ROULADE

Steps:

• Prepare an outdoor grill for direct and indirect grilling. (If your grill has a thermometer, aim to keep the temperature at about 350 degrees F throughout grilling.) Cook the poblano and bell peppers on the grill, turning occasionally, until completely charred on the outside, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with a plate to steam for about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grill the onions until golden and soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Peel the poblano and bell peppers and remove and discard the stems and skins. Cut the flesh into 1/2-inch strips and set aside. (Keep the poblano strips separate from bell pepper strips.)
• Set the steak on a cutting board. Using a long thin knife and starting at the thin, narrow end of the steak, slice it in half horizontally leaving 2 inches of the meat uncut at the wide end of the steak so the pieces stay attached. Open it up like a book so you have one long piece. Pound the steak with a meat mallet to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch.
• Arrange the steak flat on a work surface with a long side facing you. Combine the cilantro, tomato paste, oil, cumin, oregano, scallions and 2 teaspoons salt in a bowl. Spread the paste all over the top of the steak. Working in three batches, arrange vertical stripes of the poblanos, bell peppers, onions, and olives on the steak until the steak is covered, leaving 2 inches empty at each end.
• Roll up the steak like a jelly roll, starting at one of the short ends. Tie the steak closed around the circumference with butcher's twine at 2-inch intervals. Tie one more piece of twine lengthwise around the steak.
• Put the steak on the direct heat side of the grill and cook, turning, to brown all 4 sides, about 2 minutes per side. Move the steak to the indirect heat side of the grill, cover and cook, turning occasionally, until the center of the steak registers 115 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 25 to 30 minutes for a steak that is well-done on the outside and medium-rare in the center. (Test frequently; the time will vary based on the temperature of your grill.) Let the steak rest about 10 minutes.
• Untie the steak and cut it into 6 thick slices.

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.

ULTIMATE ROPA VIEJA

Steps:

• Pat the beef dry and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Heat a little oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Once very hot add the beef and brown generously on all sides. Transfer the beef to a plate. (Do not discard the drippings and blackened bits in the pot, they are key to the flavor.)
• Add the sliced vegetables to the pot and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until caramelized. Add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute. Add the white wine and bring it to a rapid boil, deglazing the bottom of the pan (scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan).
• Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Return the roast to the pot along with the pieces of carrots and celery. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 3-4 hours or until the beef is fork tender and falls apart easily. Discard the celery, carrots and bay leaves.
• Transfer the beef to a plate and shred it. Return the shredded beef to the pot.
• Stir in the olives, roasted red peppers, capers and pimientos. Simmer uncovered to thicken the sauce for 30 minutes. Stir in the parsley and add salt and pepper to taste.

CUBAN FLANK STEAK AND PEPPER STEW

Steps:

• Season flank steak and brown on all sides in a Dutch oven. Remove. Add diced vegetables and lightly brown. Add vinegar, broth and seasonings. Add meat and simmer 2 1/2 hours over low heat.
• Let cool 30 minutes. Remove meat to a large bowl and shred. Strain solids, reserving cooking liquid.
• Saute sliced vegetables in now empty Dutch oven; do not allow to burn. Add tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Simmer 15 minutes. Return meat and enough reserved cooking liquid, for desired consistency, and adjust seasonings.

CUBAN MARINATED STEAK

Steps:

• Place cumin seeds into a small skillet over medium heat; stir constantly until seeds turn dark brown and smell toasted, about 1 minute. Immediately pour seeds into a bowl to stop the cooking. Mix cumin seeds with orange juice, vegetable oil, steak seasoning, lime juice, and oregano in a bowl.
• Place steaks into a large resealable plastic bag, pour orange juice marinade over the meat, and squeeze out air. Seal bag and turn it over several times to coat meat with marinade. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or longer for extra flavor.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove steaks from marinade, shaking off any excess. Discard used marinade. Grill steaks on the preheated grill until seared on the outsides and still slightly pink in the centers, 6 to 8 minutes per side. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted sideways into the center of the thickest steak should read 145 degrees F (65 degrees C). Let steaks rest for 3 minutes before slicing.

CUBAN STEAK (BISTEC ENCEBOLLADO)

Steps:

• Using a meat mallet, place the steaks between two pieces of wax paper and pound out to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
• Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan at low heat. Sauté onions briefly! They should still be slighty crisp. Remove onions.
• Sprinkle each steak with Adobo seasoning and black pepper and rub into steaks. Sauté the garlic for one minute in a small amount of olive oil, . Add steaks and sauté to desired doneness in olive oil(or you could grill your steaks). Remove steaks. Deglaze the pan by adding the lime juice and continuing to heat, stirring constantly. Cook long enough to reduce (thicken) somewhat.
• Cover each steak with the fried onions. Pour sauce over steaks and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.