Cuban Ropa Vieja
Slow-cooked shredded beef and vegetables that resemble a pine of colourful rags is what Cubans call Ropa Vieja. From the Spanish term for “old clothes”, this rich beef stew is one of Cuba’s most popular and beloved dishes.
Ingredients
- 500 g stewing beef or flank steak
- 200 ml dry white wine
- 450 ml beef stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon peppercorn
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 4 tablespoon tomato puree
- 2 bell peppers cored and thinly sliced
- 2 onions thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
To Serve:
- 240 g white rice
- 200 g black beans or kidney beans
- 5 g coriander roughly chopped
- ½ lime
Instructions
- Place the beef in a pan with a matching lid. Pour the wine and stock in, add the bay leaf and peppercorns. Place in low heat and cook for 3 hours.
- Lift the meat out of the stock (reserve the stock for later). Shred the meat using 2 forks (when cooked the meat should shred very easily). Cover the beef and set it aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan. Add the onions and cook for 5-6 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and peppers and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Add the spices and stir until all the vegetables are covered, then add the tomato paste and stir for a minute. Pour the stock the beef has been cooking in through a fine sieve, discarding the bay leaf and peppercorns.
- Add the shredded beef back to the sauce and cook for another 10-15 minutes on low heat.
- In the meantime, cook the white rice following instructions on a packet.
- Serve the Cuban ropa vieja on a bed of rice with some black (or kidney beans) on the side, with some fresh coriander and a lime wedge as a garnish!
Nutrition
Calories: 564kcalCarbohydrates: 75gProtein: 40gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 306mgPotassium: 1228mgFiber: 8gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 449IUVitamin C: 59mgCalcium: 110mgIron: 5mg
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