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What is on your culinary bucket list? My list is very long. It’s a good thing because I have a several reasons to tackle them. The reasons are to try new things, learn techniques, and share them here on this blog. Plus it keeps me from getting into a routine or rut which is something I do quite well. Yes, look up creature of habit and there is my photo. Anyway, it was time to make something to check off my list. I chose to make Ropa Vieja.
What is Ropa Vieja? It is a Cuban or Caribbean shredded beef dish. The name is Spanish and it translates to “Old Clothes”. I’ve read lots of different stories about how it was named that and I’m not sure which one is correct. However it was named is to be determined. What has been determined for sure is how good it is. (Source = me). I’ve enjoyed it from the moment I first tried it many years ago at a local restaurant.
Cafe Chavez was that local Cuban restaurant. We decided to go there one night after hearing many rave reviews. We sat down and had no clue what to order. One of us chose Ropa Vieja. We dove in when the plate of shredded beef served over rice arrived at the table. The tomato-y, pepper-y, cumin flavored sauce was unlike any other I had before. It instantly made me a Cuban food fan. Sadly, the restaurant closed several years ago. Since then I’ve only had Ropa Vieja a few times. I always wanted to make it at home and never did. That is, until Isabel challenged the Sunday Supper team to make something from their culinary bucket list.
The variety of recipes this week is incredible. Many different cuisines are featured. There is something for everyone:
Sunday Supper Specialty Breads:
- Homemade Bagels with Mimosa Spreadby Daily Dish Recipes
- Homemade Tortillasby Supper for a Steal
- Briocheby Gotta Get Baked
- Alton Brown’s Soft Pretzelsby Hezzi-D’s Book and Cooks
- Braided Challahby The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bitesby In the Kitchen with Audrey and Maurene
- Belgian Wafflesby Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Gluten-free Bread byHappy Baking Days
- Monkey Breadby Vintage Kitchen Notes
Sunday Supper Main Dishes:
- Lightened Up Slow Cooker Butter Chickenby The Meltaways
- Gluten Free Ravioliby No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
- Bagna Cauda and Potatoesby Shockingly Delicious
- Beef Wellingtonby Family Foodie
- Green Chili and Lentil Tamalesby Mangoes and Chutney
- Mushroom Ragout over Creamy Polentaby Noshing with the Nolands
- Butternut Squash Gnocchiby Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Ropa Viejaby Magnolia Days
- Tah-Dig (Persian Rice)by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
- Fresh Ravioli with Ricottaby Comfy Cuisine
- Stuffed Artichokesby The Roxx Box
- Braised Short Ribsby The Messy Baker blog
- Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignonby Hip Foodie Mom
- French Onion Soupby The Weekend Gourmet
- Leaping Frog Chickenby The Urban Mrs.
- Fried Polenta with Spicy Tomato Relishby Mama Mommy Mom
- Savory Spinach-Filled Crepe Cake with Cheddar Sauceby Webicurean
- Japanese-Style Prosperity Pockets & Goat Cheese En Crouteby Ninja Baking
- San Antonio Puffy Tacosby Sustainable Dad
- Chinese Dumplingsby My Cute Bride
- Falafelby Small Wallet Big Appetite
Sunday Supper Desserts and Snacks:
- Creamy Lemon Fudgeby Chocolate Moosey
- Zebra Cakeby That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Faux Ice Cream with Bananasby Country Girl in the Village
- Divinityby Juanita’s Cocina
- Homemade Seafoam Candyby girlichef
- French Macaronsby I Run for Wine
- Mocha Macadamia Trifle with Mascarpone Creamby The Foodie Army Wife
- Nut and Seed Nougatby What Smells So Good
- Pumpkin Mocha Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Frosting and Dulce de Leche Drizzleby Damn Delicious
- Chocolate Meringue Cake (gluten free)by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
- Gluten-Free Golden Fudge Cakeby Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Orange Rum Tiramisu Cakeby Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
- Peanut Sesame Honey Brittleby Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
- Granola Bars with Dried Fruitby The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Jamaican Blue Drawersby Lovely Pantry
- Mini Classic Key Lime Piesby In the Kitchen with KP
- Donuts: Reduxby Kelly Bakes
- Hot Lemon Curd Soufflésby Food Lust People Love
- Popcorn with truffle oil and asiago cheeseby Ruffles & Truffles
Are you ready to tackle your culinary bucket list? I’m one down and lots to go. Perhaps my next one will be a recipe in today’s event. They all look so good. Choices, choices…
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One note about the recipe: It is a very good version of Ropa Vieja. It is similar to the way I have had it at a few Cuban restaurants. I do intend to tweak it in the future. I want it to be more like the one I had at Cafe Chavez long ago. At least I can say I tackled one of my culinary bucket list items. Fine tuning it will be just as fun as making it the first time.
5 from 2 votes
Ropa Vieja
A recipe for ropa vieja, a braised and shredded beef dish made with bell peppers, tomatoes, olives, and cumin.
CourseMain Dish
CuisineMexican
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Renee
Ingredients
- 3poundsskirt or flank steaktrimmed
- 2quartswater
- 2carrotscoarsely chopped
- 1large onioncoarsely chopped
- 2celery ribscoarsely chopped
- 1bay leaf
- 6garlic cloves3 crushed & 3 minced, divided
- 1 1/2teaspoonsdried oreganodivided
- 2teaspoonsground cumindivided
- 1teaspoonsalt
- 10whole black peppercorns
- 1green bell peppersliced into 1/4-inch strips
- 1onionsliced into 1/4-inch strips
- 4tablespoonsolive oil
- 2cupsbraising liquid plus additional if desired
- 1can can chopped tomatoes14- to 16-ounce
- 3tablespoonstomato paste
- 1red bell peppersliced into 1/4 inch strips
- 1yellow bell peppersliced into 1/4 inch strips
- 1cupfrozen peasthawed
- 1/2cuppimiento-stuffed Spanish olivesdrained and chopped
Instructions
In a 6 or 7-quart soup pot or dutch oven, add beef, water, carrots, large onion, celery, bay leaf, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin, salt, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Loosely cover and simmer 1 1/2 to 3 hours, until beef is tender (easy to shred). Remove pot from heat and cool meat in liquid 30 minutes. Transfer meat to a container and cover. Strain braising liquid into a bowl using a colander. Press on the solids to press out liquid. Discard solids. Return braising liquid to the pot and boil until reduced to 3 cups, about 30 minutes. Cool braising liquid completely, cover, and refrigerate it and the beef separately overnight.
Pull meat into shreds using two forks. Set aside.
In the soup pot, cook green bell pepper and sliced onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until softened, stirring occasionally.
To the pepper/onion mixture add shredded meat, 2 cups braising liquid, tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon oregano. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Loosely cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
In a large skillet cook red and yellow bell peppers in remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until softened, stirring occasionally. Add softened peppers to the pot with additional braising liquid if needed to thin or to desired consistency. Stir to combine and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Stir in peas and olives. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm over white or yellow rice.
Recipe Notes
A recipe for ropa vieja, a braised and shredded beef dish made with bell peppers, tomatoes, olives, and cumin.
Recipe adapted from one on Epicurious.
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