Traditional Cuban Dishes
Cuban Ropa Vieja
Prepare authentic Cuban ropa vieja: tender and shredded beef brisket, cooked slowly in a tomato sauce with peppers, spices, white wine, and olives. A homemade stew, juicy and full of flavor to accompany with white rice, black beans, or ripe plantain.
Cuban ropa vieja is a traditional beef stew cooked over low heat until its fibers separate into soft shreds. The sofrito of onion, peppers, and garlic, along with the tomato, spices, white wine, vinegar, and olives, creates an aromatic and balanced sauce.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓1 kg of beef brisket
- ✓1 large white onion
- ✓1 red bell pepper
- ✓1 green bell pepper
- ✓4 cloves of garlic
- ✓400 g of crushed tomato
- ✓250 ml of beef broth
- ✓120 ml of dry white wine
- ✓2 tablespoons of olive oil
- ✓1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- ✓1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- ✓1 bay leaf
- ✓1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika
- ✓1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
- ✓8 green olives, stuffed or unstuffed, sliced
- ✓Salt to taste
- ✓Black pepper to taste
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Dry the brisket with paper towels and season with salt, black pepper, …
Dry the brisket with paper towels and season with salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, and sweet paprika.
- 02
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat…
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat for 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until it is toasted. Remove it and set it aside with its juices.
- 03
In the same pot, add the onion and peppers cut into thin strips…
In the same pot, add the onion and peppers cut into thin strips. Cook them for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring to take advantage of the golden juices from the bottom.
- 04
Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute, avoiding burning…
Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute, avoiding burning.
- 05
Pour in the white wine and gently scrape the bottom of the pot with a…
Pour in the white wine and gently scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Let it boil for 2 minutes to evaporate the alcohol.
- 06
Add the crushed tomato, beef broth, and bay leaf
Add the crushed tomato, beef broth, and bay leaf. Mix well and return the brisket to the pot along with the juices it has released. The meat should be partially covered by the sauce.
- 07
When the sauce starts to boil, reduce the heat to a minimum, cover the pot…
When the sauce starts to boil, reduce the heat to a minimum, cover the pot, and cook for 2 to 2.5 hours. Turn the meat every 40 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook it covered in the oven at 160 °C for approximately 2.5 hours.
- 08
Check that the meat is ready when a fork enters easily and the fibers separate…
Check that the meat is ready when a fork enters easily and the fibers separate without resistance. Remove it from the sauce and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
- 09
Remove the bay leaf
Remove the bay leaf. Shred the brisket with two forks following the natural direction of the fibers. Remove large pieces of fat or hard tissue.
- 10
Taste the sauce
Taste the sauce. If it is too liquid, reduce it uncovered for a few minutes; if it is too thick, add a small stream of broth.
- 11
Add the red wine vinegar and sliced green olives
Add the red wine vinegar and sliced green olives. Taste before adding more salt, as the olives already provide saltiness.
- 12
Return the shredded meat to the pot and mix gently
Return the shredded meat to the pot and mix gently. Cook everything together for 10 minutes over low heat and without covering, until the meat absorbs the sauce.
- 13
Let the stew rest for 5 minutes before serving
Let the stew rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve it with white rice, black beans, fried ripe plantain, crispy bread, or tostones.
- Cook the meat over low heat until it shreds easily; a short cooking time can leave the brisket tough.
- The brisket can be replaced by beef belly, breast, or needle.
- Taste the sauce before correcting the salt, because the olives already provide a salty touch.
- The sauce should be thick but still humid and shiny, to preserve the juicy texture of the meat.
- You can prepare the ropa vieja a day in advance; it usually gains flavor when resting in the refrigerator.
- To reheat it, use low heat and add a tablespoon of water or broth if needed.