Our good friend, Felix, is the first-generation child of Cuban immigrants. His parents left everything behind and fled Cuba in the 1950s during the Cuban revolution. Starting with nothing, they built a successful life in Florida and raised four children.
A skillful cook, Felix has had a big influence on my love of Cuban food. I’ve always enjoyed the cuisine of this Caribbean island, but over the years as Felix has served us food from his parents’ homeland, my appreciation for it has grown. Rice and black beans now make a regular appearance on our table. We love his version of Cuban yuca; we drool over his Tostones and Maduros; and his Ropa Vieja has become one of my favorite Cuban dishes.
Ropa Vieja, Spanish for “old clothes”, originated in Spain around the 12th century. It evolved in the Canary Islands and finally moved to Cuba, where it’s considered one of the country’s national dishes. This stew of shredded flank steak, green and red peppers, and onions braises in the slow cooker in beef stock, wine, and tomatoes for 5 hours. Pimento stuffed olives and capers, added during the last few minutes of cooking, complete the dish.
Flank steak is a very lean and tough cut of beef. Braising the meat over a longer period of time breaks down the connective tissue and the resulting meat is both moist, flavorful, and tender. This recipe is a modified version of the Felix’s recipe.
Serve with yellow rice and delight your family or friends this delicious Cuban dish.
Ingredients
2 pound flank steak, sliced into 1-inch strips
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups low-sodium beef stock
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons capers
1 cup sliced pimento-stuffed olives
Cilantro (for garnish)
Instructions
1. Place all flank steak, peppers, onion, garlic and bay leaves in slow cooker. Spread cumin, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper over steak and peppers. Top with tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock and wine.
2. Set slow cooker on high setting and cook for 5 hours. Remove meat from cooker and shred with 2 forks. Return meat to slow cooker and mix well. Add capers and olives and continue cooking until heated through. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with cilantro leaves, and serve with yellow rice.
https://southernboydishes.com/2015/04/11/slow-cooker-ropa-vieja/You may also like:
- Roasted Cauliflower and Fennel Soup - November 8, 2015
- Smoky and Sweet Turkey Chili{+ a Cookbook Giveaway} - October 27, 2015
- Black-Eyed Pea and Collard Stew with Turkey Sausage - October 16, 2015
Tried this recipe and it is absolutely phenomenal. My entire family loved it! I had recently tried another Ropa Vieja recipe that didn’t even come close to this one! Great Job!!
I’m so glad you liked the recipe, Kimberly! Thanks so much for dropping by and leaving me feedback.
You had me at olives and capers!!! I can’t wait to give this one a try. Nice post, Bill!
Wow. Just wow. I think I can easily adapt this to my pressure cooker, and it’s something my husband would love.
The thing I miss most about living in Florida is Cuban food. It’s just not the same here. This recipe looks so simple. I wonder why California get it right. GREG
This looks great. I’ve always wanted to try this dish.