Cuban Ropa Vieja - A Delicious Authentic Shredded Beef Stew
This Cuban Ropa Vieja is a delicious beef stew made with a ton of flavorful vegetables, herbs, and spices. I like to individually brown the ingredients before allowing them to simmer. This way, you develop the best flavors.
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 pounds stewing beef (flank or chuck)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and quartered
- 1 large celery stalk, cleaned and halved
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
- 1 can (8 ounces) chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 cup white wine
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- To start, you will need to brown your meat first. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, season your beef with some salt and pepper. Then, cook the meat over high heat until it is beautifully brown on all sides. You don't have to cook them. They only need to get some color and flavor. Set the browned meat aside for later.
- Next, in a large pot or directly into your slow cooker, heat some more oil and add your onions. Sautee them over medium heat for roughly 2 minutes, then add the carrots, celery, and red bell pepper. Give these ingredients a good stir and cook them for another 2 minutes.
- Once your vegetables have started to sweat, add the garlic and tomato paste. Allow them to cook for a minute while stirring constantly. It will help coat the vegetables nicely.
- Now, add all of your browned meat with your spices and dried herbs. You don't have to cook these for very long. But make sure to mix them properly.
- Finally, add the chopped tomatoes, beef stock, and white wine. Mix all the ingredients well and bring them to a boil.
- Once your liquid is boiling, reduce the heat to a very low simmer. Cover the pot and allow the Cuban Ropa Vieja to cook for 3-4 hours. The meat has finished cooking when it falls off the fork.
- To shred your cooked meat, remove any large vegetable chunks from the saucy mixture. Then, transfer the cooked meat to a plate. Shred the meat pieces using two forks.
- Once shredded, return the meat to the sauce and simmer it over medium heat until you have a thicker consistency. Add the fresh cilantro and serve the Cuban Ropa Vieja while it's still hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 280kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 20gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 734mgPotassium: 607mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1956IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!