Cuban ropa vieja
Beef flank cooked until tender, shredded, and simmered with peppers, onion, tomato, and spices.
This Cuban version cooks beef flank in water, then simmers it with a vegetable and tomato sofrito. The beef’s cooking time can vary; it is ready when it pulls apart easily into strands with a fork.
Ingredient allergens
Allergen listThere are no verified associations for these ingredients yet.
Method
- 01
Cook the beef
Place the beef flank in a pot with the water, salt, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until tender, about 2 hours. Reserve one cup of the cooking liquid.
Ready to continue when: The beef pulls apart easily into strands when pressed with a fork.
120 min - 02
Shred the beef
Remove the beef from the pot and let it cool enough to handle. Use two forks to shred it into fine strands.
Ready to continue when: The beef is separated into fine, manageable strands.
- 03
Sauté the vegetables
Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, peppers, and garlic; cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and translucent.
Ready to continue when: The onion is soft and translucent, and the peppers are heated through.
3 min - 04
Make the sauce
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, ground cumin, and dried oregano. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Ready to continue when: The tomatoes have combined with the vegetables and the sauce is beginning to thicken.
10 min - 05
Simmer the ropa vieja
Add the shredded beef, beef broth, and red wine vinegar to the skillet. Stir and simmer for 30–45 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and the beef remains juicy. Stir in the black pepper and remove the bay leaves before serving.
Ready to continue when: The sauce is thick rather than watery and coats the strands of beef, which remain juicy.
30 min
Ingredients
Sources and review
Content researched, cross-checked and automatically validated. Sources consulted:
- Comité Científico www.aesan.gob.es/dam/jcr:ed009337-0085-4c40-8a9d-4941400ca954/comite_cientifico_35.pdf
- guía de orientación para el control oficial de la cadena de aesan.gob.es/dam/jcr:fcb52de2-bee0-4ba7-b4d4-700a971ee60c/Pto_2_7_Guia_control_oficial_atun_…
- Ropa Vieja Cubana Receta |+Video| - Tia Clara tiaclara.com/es/ropa-vieja-receta/
- Ropa Vieja Cubana | cookstorming cookstorming.com/ropa-vieja-cubana/
- Ropa vieja cubana: la receta paso a paso de mi cocina – tras la receta traslareceta.com/2015/01/19/ropa-vieja-cubana-la-receta-paso-a-paso-de-mi-cocina/
- Ropa Vieja: Chef Patty’s “Ultimate Cuban Comfort Food“ – Familia Kitchen familiakitchen.com/es/ropa-vieja-chef-pattys-ultimate-comfort-food/
- Receta de ropa vieja cubana estoyhechouncocinillas.com/2009/10/ropa-vieja-cubana.html
- [RECETA] "Ropa vieja" - Carnicería de Madrid www.carniceriademadrid.es/blog/receta-ropa-vieja
- Ropa vieja - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ropa_vieja
- Receta de ropa vieja cubana, un plato de origen humilde que nació de aprovechar los restos de carne - Infobae www.infobae.com/espana/2024/05/13/receta-de-ropa-vieja-cubana-un-plato-de-origen-humilde-que…
- Ropa Vieja, un plato tradicional cubano con orígenes en leyendas mitológicas - RiverheadLOCAL Español es.riverheadlocal.com/2018/03/03/ropa-vieja-un-plato-tradicional-cubano-con-origenes-en-leye…
- Ropa vieja cubana - EcuRed www.ecured.cu/Ropa_vieja_cubana
- Client Challenge doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv2xkjzj5.4
State: Published after documentary validation; no “Tested” label is shown.