Embark on a culinary journey to discover Ropa Vieja, a traditional Cuban dish that translates to "old clothes." This savory dish, often served during celebrations, is a delectable medley of shredded beef, vibrant vegetables, and aromatic spices, all harmoniously combined to create a flavor symphony. Immerse yourself in the vibrant history of Ropa Vieja, believed to have originated from humble beginnings as a way to transform leftover meat into a hearty and satisfying meal. Also explore variations of this classic dish, including vegetarian and seafood renditions. Whether you're seeking a traditional Cuban experience or a creative twist on a beloved classic, this article offers a comprehensive guide to tantalize your taste buds and transport you to the heart of Cuban cuisine.
Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!
OLD CLOTHES (BEEF STEW): ROPA VIEJA
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 2h30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Boil the flank steak with bay leaves, carrots, 1 onion, and oregano with enough water to cover the ingredients. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Drain and let the meat cool, cut into 2-inch cubes and then shred.
- Saute the remaining onion, peppers, and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Deglaze with sherry. Add tomatoes and cumin. Cook for 15 minutes. Add the shredded meat and cook for 1/2 hour. Season with salt and pepper.
ROPA VIEJA
Steps:
- Add the olive oil to a large, heavy pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons salt, broken bay leaves, crushed red pepper flakes and halved jalapeno and stir. Add the quartered onions, chopped carrot, parsley, and mashed garlic cloves and stir again. Place the brisket in the pot, season with salt and pepper and add enough water to cover by 2-inches. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat so that the liquid just simmers, and cook the brisket until the meat is tender enough to shred, 2 to 3 hours. Remove the meat from the cooking liquid and set aside until cool enough to handle. Strain the cooking broth through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the broth for the ropa vieja and use the remaining broth for another purpose.
- When the meat has cooled, shred it into 3 to 4-inch strands. Set aside.
- Combine the minced garlic, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a mortar and pestle and work into a smooth paste. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the sliced onion. Saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic paste and bay leaf and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, reserved beef broth, wine, and vinegar and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the shredded beef and roasted green pepper strips, stir to combine, and cook, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the meat is fork tender and falling apart, coated with a thick sauce, and the flavors have come together. If the sauce gets too thick, add a bit more of the reserved beef broth. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Remove the bay leaf and serve, garnished with the pimiento slices, lime juice and cilantro, if desired.
ROPA VIEJA
Flank steak braised with vegetables and aromatics until it shreds into strands is the national dish of Cuba, though the cooking process is popular throughout Central America and the Caribbean. In Cuba, it's called ropa vieja, which translates to old clothes, a reference to the beef's tattered appearance. In Venezuela and Colombia, you'd call it carne desmechada. This version starts with a sautéed base of peppers and onions, which is further enhanced with olives, capers, raisins and tomatoes. The flavorful mixture works equally well with flank steak, pork butt or even chicken thighs. Serve it with cooked black beans and rice.
Provided by J. Kenji López-Alt
Categories dinner, meat, one pot, main course
Time 3h
Yield 6 cups (4 servings)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Season beef or pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over high until lightly smoking. Working in batches as needed, cook the meat in a single layer, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch, reducing heat as necessary if the oil smokes excessively.
- Add braised peppers and onions, tomatoes, olives, raisins, capers and chicken stock. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, cover with the lid slightly cracked, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping any crust that has formed at the edges of the pan back into the liquid, until meat is completely tender and shreds easily with two forks, about 2 1/2 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Shred meat with two forks, and serve immediately with white rice, black beans and hearty greens. Ropa vieja can also be shredded, allowed to cool, and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week. It will improve in texture and flavor with time.
EARNEST HEMINGWAY'S OLD SHIRT (ROPA VIEJA)
Provided by Food Network
Time 2h30m
Yield 4 Servings
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Salt and pepper the meat and lightly dust with flour (Do not cut off fat!).
- Brown the meat in olive oil in a large cast iron braiser. Add enough water to surround the meat, but don't cover it. Add green pepper, 1/2 of the chopped onions and the garlic. Simmer, covered, until meat is fork tender, about 2 hours. Add more water sparingly to avoid burning and flip meat over at the halfway mark.
- Remove from heat and cool. Shred the meat and remove the fat.
- Discard the veggies and sauce. Slightly clean the braiser then add back to the stove top add olive oil.
- Saute the roasted garlic and the remaining chopped onion until transparent. Add chopped red pepper. Add crushed tomatoes, cumin, 1/2 of the red wine and bay leaf. Incorporate salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add other half of the red wine and cook for 14 minutes more.
- Remove bay leaf and serve with white rice or stuff in Plantain Cups.
- Fill large bowl with warm salted water to cover the plantains. Peel green plantain and cut into 2 inch pieces. Put the cut plantains into the water and soak.
- Heat oil to 375 degrees F.
- Remove plantains from water, shake off excess water and fry the plantain pieces for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the plantains and let cool for a couple of minutes.
- Using the Rivera Tostonera designed to make cups put fried plantains lengthwise into mold. If you don't have a Tostonera maker take 2 mini muffin pans and put fried plantains in the mold of 1 pan lengthwise and with the other muffin pan press down firmly to form a cup.
- Carefully remove the cup and re-fry the plantain cup in the hot oil until golden brown.
- Remove the cups and drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
- Serve warm.
ROPA VIEJA
The way tender flank steak shreds into thin pieces gives this dish the name that translates literally to "old clothes." My abuela would first cook the meat in her stovetop pressure cooker, shred it and then simmer it with the tomato, onion and bell pepper sauce. In my take on this Cuban classic, I like to braise the meat right in the sauce, so all the juices marry together giving it even more depth. Some versions of ropa vieja skip the olives, capers or pimientos, but I love their salty contrast.
Provided by Gabriela Rodiles
Categories main-dish
Time 2h
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Pat the flank steak completely dry with a paper towel. Cut in half or thirds (across the grain) if needed to fit into your pot in a single layer. Season with 2 teaspoons salt.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add the steak in a single layer and cook until a deep brown crust develops, 5 to 8 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Add the onions and peppers to the same pot. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few cracks black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano; stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it starts to develop color, about 1 minute. Add the vino seco to deglaze and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the tomato sauce, beef stock and bay leaf. Stir to incorporate. Nestle the steak in the sauce, submerging it slightly. Be sure to add any accumulated juices from the plate.
- Cover and cook in the oven until the meat shreds easily with two forks, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Transfer the pot back to the stovetop. Remove the steak to a cutting board or medium bowl and shred into long thin pieces using two forks. Meanwhile, simmer the sauce over low heat until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Return the steak to the pot and stir to combine. Add the lime juice and olives, capers or pimientos, if using.
- Serve with white rice and black beans.
Tips:
- Use leftover meat: Ropa vieja is a great way to use up leftover meat, such as flank steak, skirt steak, or chuck roast. This makes it a budget-friendly and sustainable meal.
- Shred the meat: The meat should be shredded into small pieces before it is cooked. This will help it to absorb the flavors of the sauce and cook evenly.
- Use a flavorful sauce: The sauce is what really makes ropa vieja special. Be sure to use a sauce that is packed with flavor, such as a tomato-based sauce or a Cuban mojo sauce.
- Cook it low and slow: Ropa vieja is a dish that is best cooked low and slow. This will allow the flavors to develop and the meat to become tender.
- Serve with rice: Ropa vieja is traditionally served with rice. However, it can also be served with other sides, such as beans, plantains, or avocado.
Conclusion:
Ropa vieja is a delicious and versatile dish that can be made with a variety of ingredients. It is a great way to use up leftover meat, and it can be served with a variety of sides. Whether you are looking for a weeknight meal or a special occasion dish, ropa vieja is sure to please.
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