KITCHENER -- Ropa vieja means “old clothes” in Spanish, and the dish got this name because the beef is slow-cooked and shredded to resemble tattered clothing.
Serve with cooked rice and black beans.
1-1/2 lbs beef flank steak
2 tbsp canola oil (approx.)
2 carrots, diced
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup ready-to-use beef broth
2 tbsp pickled olive brine
1 cup sliced pitted green olives
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Blot beef dry with a paper towel and cut into10 large pieces. In a large skillet, heat half the oil over medium-high heat. In batches, add beef and cook for 5 minutes per side or until browned, adding oil as needed between batches.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a 4- to 6- quart slow cooker. Add carrots, red peppers, green pepper and onion to the skillet and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until vegetable just begin to soften.
Add garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, black pepper, hot pepper flakes, paprika, cinnamon, cloves and tomato paste; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to slow cooker, along with tomatoes. Add broth to the skillet and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan; pour into slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours, until beef is tender . Skim off any excess fat.
Using two forks, shred beef. Stir in olive brine, olives and cilantro. Serves 6.
Tip: This dish is traditionally made with flank steak, but you can substitute boneless blade roast, if you prefer.
