Ropa Vieja

Ropa Vieja

Cuba's national dish: flank steak simmered until tender, shred into fine strands, then returned to a rich tomato-pepper sauce. Serve with white rice, black beans and fried sweet plantains.

Prep

20 min

Cook

150 min

Total

170 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •900 g (2 lb) flank steak, whole piece, trimmed
• •1 whole bay leaf
• •1 whole white onion, halved
• •60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil, or sunflower oil
• •1 whole large white onion, sliced into thin half-moons
• •1 whole green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• •1 whole red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• •4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• •400 g (14 oz) canned peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
• •30 g (2 tbsp) tomato paste
• •120 ml (½ cup) dry white wine, optional, can sub the same amount of beef broth
• •250 ml (1 cup) beef broth, from the simmer pot
• •5 g (1 tsp) ground cumin
• •2 g (1 tsp) dried oregano, preferably Cuban or Mexican
• •10 g (2 tsp) sweet paprika
• •5 g (1 tsp) sugar, balances the acidity
• •15 g (1 tbsp) flour, for a light thickening
• •salt and black pepper, to taste
• •15 g (¼ cup) fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
• •10 g (¼ cup) pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced, optional but traditional

Steps

1. 1 Place the flank steak in a heavy pot and cover with cold water (about 1.5 L / 6 cups). Add the halved onion, bay leaf and 5 g of salt. Bring to a gentle boil, skim the foam, then reduce to a low simmer. Partially cover and cook for 90 minutes, until a fork slides easily into the meat. The internal temperature should reach at least 90 °C / 195 °F.
2. 2 Lift the steak out and reserve the broth. Strain the broth and keep it hot. When the steak is cool enough to handle, tear it into long, thin shreds along the grain - this ragged, thread-like texture is what gives the dish its name ('old clothes'). Discard any large pieces of fat or gristle.
3. 3 Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pan (a braiser or deep skillet) over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 8-10 minutes until soft and translucent.
4. 4 Add the bell pepper strips and cook another 6-8 minutes until softened but still holding their shape and a little colour.
5. 5 Stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano and paprika and cook for 60 seconds until fragrant.
6. 6 Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, white wine and 250 ml of the reserved beef broth. Stir in the sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 15 minutes to thicken.
7. 7 Sprinkle the flour over the sauce and stir well, then add the shredded beef and the sliced olives. Simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce coats the beef and the mixture is rich but not dry. Add more broth if it tightens up too much.
8. 8 Taste and adjust salt and pepper. The beef should be fork-tender and the peppers soft but identifiable.
9. 9 Serve hot over steamed white rice, with black beans and slices of fried ripe plantain on the side. Scatter chopped parsley over the top.