ROPA VIEJA

 

Ropa vieja is the national dish of Cuba, a hearty stew made with shredded beef, tomato sauce, onions, and peppers. The stew is traditionally served with yellow rice and a glass of cold beer on the side. Like many Cuban dishes, this one also originated in Spain and was brought over to Cuba and the Caribbean territory by the Spaniards.

It is believed that the Sephardic Jews from the Iberian Peninsula invented the dish because they could not cook on the Sabbath, so they prepared this hearty stew a day in advance. Ropa vieja means old clothes, referring to an unusual story saying that a poor man once shredded and cooked his clothes because he could not afford to buy food.


As he prayed over the pot, a miracle happened and turned his clothes into a flavorful meat stew. Today, ropa vieja is a staple across the Caribbean and Cuba, with tweaks and modifications in the recipes throughout the regions.

 

INGREDIETS

0.91 kg beef chuck. Ask your butcher to cut it taller than wider, so you get long strands of beef along the grain. Oo you can use flank steak (see discussion in this post about cuts of beef and why we recommend chuck over flank)

1 large yellow onion thinly sliced

1 of each large green, red and yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

0.13 teaspoon ground allspice

0.13 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

120 ml dry white wine

235 ml chicken broth

482 g can crushed tomatoes

198 g can tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1 large carrot cut in half

1 large stalk celery cut in half

135 g green olives , rinsed and drained (you can slice them if you prefer)

70 g roasted red peppers drained

48 g pimientos drained

2 tablespoons capers rinsed and drained

20 g chopped fresh parsley

 

METHOD

  1. Pat the beef dry and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

  2. 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 flavoUr.)

  3. Add the sliced vegetables to the pot and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until caramelised. 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).

  4. Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes.

  5. 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.

  6. Transfer the beef to a plate and shred it. Return the shredded beef to the pot.

  7. 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.

Food At Oliver's