Ropa Vieja is one of the most famous national dishes of Cuba. The name means “old clothes” because the shredded beef looks like torn fabric. It is slow-cooked with tomatoes, peppers, garlic and spices. In Cuba, it is almost always served with white rice and black beans.
😌 Difficulty: Medium
⏱️ Preparation time: 20 min
🔥 Cooking time: 1 h 30 min
⏳ Total time: 1 h 50 min
👥 Servings: 3
Ingredients
- 600 g beef flank or beef shoulder
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
For serving:
- White rice
- Cooked black beans
Instructions
- Cut beef into large chunks.
- In a pot, cover beef with water and boil gently for about 1 hour until tender.
- Remove beef and let cool slightly.
- Shred the meat using two forks.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan.
- Add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook until soft.
- Add crushed tomatoes, cumin, paprika, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Add shredded beef and mix well.
- Cook gently for another 15-20 minutes so flavors combine.
- Remove bay leaf and serve hot with white rice and black beans.
SpinThatCuisine Tip 💡
The beef should be tender enough to shred easily. If it feels tough, cook longer before shredding.