Ropa Vieja

Ropa Vieja is a popular Cuban dish with tender slow cooked shredded beef, onions, bell pepper, olives, and capers in a rich tomato-based sauce that is loaded with flavor. Enjoy this tasty dish over long-grain white rice with Cuban black beans and fried plantains.

Known as the national dish of Cuba, this tasty stew has been around for over 500 years. Its Spanish name translates to old clothes, as legend had it that a poor man tore his clothes into shreds and tried to cook them since he did not have money for food.

This dish is traditionally made with flank steak, but I prefer to make it with chuck steak, which cooks up far more tender. Chuck has more fat and flavor, and when it is slow-cooked, it just melts in your mouth.

How to make Ropa Vieja

First, trim any large sections of fat from the chuck roast. Small amounts of fat are fine to leave as they lend flavor and tenderness to the meat. In this particular chuck roast, I cut out that large area of fat in the center.

Then heat a little vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Generously salt and pepper the roast on both sides. Then brown the roast on both sides and remove it to a plate. If needed, work in batches. Add a little more vegetable oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook until the onions are slightly browned on the edges and soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, dried oregano, and allspice. Cook for 1 minute while stirring continuously.

Add the wine and bring it to a boil while scraping to deglaze the bottom. Add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, carrot, celery, and bay leaves. Then add the beef back to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 2 1/2-3 hours or until fork tender.

Remove the beef from the pot and use two forks to shred the beef removing any cartilage or large amounts of fat. Remove the carrot, celery, and bay leaves and discard. Add the beef back to the pot over medium-low heat. Stir in the olives, pimentos, and capers and cook over low heat until heated through. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.

Recipe tips

• You can make this recipe with flank steak, but it may require a longer simmering time to tenderize. I recommend that you go with chuck exactly for this reason.
• Any colored bell pepper works with this recipe, but the red and orange bell peppers are sweeter.
• If using a Dutch oven, instead of simmering, place the covered dish in the oven at 350 degrees for about 2 1/2 hours. The oven works even better, which is the advantage of a Dutch oven.
• Chicken stock, beef stock, or low-sodium beef broth can be substituted for the chicken broth.
• Slow cook until fork tender and easy to shred.
• Remove the carrot, celery, and bay leaves and discard.
• Drain the olives, pimentos, and capers before adding them.
• Enjoy this tasty recipe with Cuban black beans and rice.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop on low.
• To freeze first cool completely. Then place in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

More chuck roast recipes to try

Ropa Vieja

This flavor-packed Ropa Vieja combines tender, slow-cooked melt-in your mouth chuck roast with onions, bell peppers, garlic, green olives, pimentos, and capers into a tasty tomato sauce seasoned with paprika and cumin.

5 from 15 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal beef

Cuisine: Cuban

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 397kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 3 lbs chuck roast
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
• 3 bell peppers seeded and thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth
• 1 14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 carrot halved
• 1 rib celery halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup pimento stuffed manzilla green olives
• 2 tablespoons capers drained
• 1 4 ounce jar pimentos, drained
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
•  

Instructions

• Trim any large sections of fat from the chuck roast. Salt and pepper both sides of the roast.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the roast on both sides and remove it to a plate.
• If necessary, add a little more vegetable oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook until the onions are slightly browned on the edges and soft.
• Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, dried oregano, and allspice. Cook for 1 minute while stirring continuously.
• Add the wine and bring it to a boil while scraping to deglaze the bottom. Add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, carrot, celery, and bay leaves. Add the beef back to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 2 1/2-3 hours or until fork tender.
• Remove the beef from the pot and use two forks to shred the beef removing any cartilage or large amounts of fat.
• Remove the carrot, celery, and bay leaves and discard. Add the beef back to the pot over medium-low heat.
• Add the olives, pimentos, and capers and cook over low heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.

Notes

• You can make this recipe with flank steak, but it may require a longer simmering time to tenderize. I recommend that you go with chuck exactly for this reason.
• Any colored bell pepper works with this recipe, but the red and orange bell peppers are sweeter.
• If using a Dutch oven, instead of simmering, place the covered dish in the oven at 350 degrees for about 2 1/2 hours. The oven works even better, which is the advantage of a Dutch oven.
• Slow cook until fork tender and easy to shred.
• Remove the carrot, celery, and bay leaves and discard.
• Drain the olives, pimentos, and capers before adding them.
• Enjoy this tasty recipe with Cuban black beans and rice.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop on low.
• To freeze first cool completely. Then place in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. 

Nutrition

Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 286mg | Potassium: 880mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3714IU | Vitamin C: 86mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 5mg

Did You Make This Recipe?Mention @smalltownwomanfoodnut or tag #smalltownwomanfoodnut!

On the hunt for more delicious recipes?  Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.