Ropa Vieja
A traditional Cuban dish that's packed with vibrant flavors!
- 1 1½ lb Chuck roast
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Onion powder
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- ½ cup Sofrito ((recipe follows))
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 8-ounce cans Spanish-style tomato sauce (May sub regular tomato sauce for a milder version.)
- 1 ½ cups water
- 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 celery stalks (with leaves, cut into ¼-inch dice)
- 3 medium carrots (trimmed and cut into ¼-inch dice)
For the sofrito
- 2 medium Spanish onions (cut into large chunks)
- 3 to 4 Italian frying peppers or cubanelle peppers
- 8-10 to matillos
- 16 to 20 cloves garlic (peeled)
- 1 large bunch cilantro (washed)
- 3 to 4 ripe plum tomatoes (cored and cut into chunks)
- 1 large red bell pepper (cored, seeded and cut into large chunks)
- 1 Anaheim chili
For the sofrito
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Chop the onion and cubanelle or Italian peppers in the work bowl of a food processor until coarsely chopped.
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With the motor running, add the remaining ingredients one at a time and process until smooth. The sofrito will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It also freezes beautifully.
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Freeze excess sofrito in ½ cup batches in sealable plastic bags.
*see note
For the Ropa Vieja
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Preheat the oven to 350° F.
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Season both sides of the beef generously with salt, pepper and onion powder.
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Heat the oil in a large, oven-proof, heavy skillet over high heat until rippling. Add the beef and cook it until well browned on both sides, about 10 minutes.
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Drain or spoon off most of the fat from the pan.
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Stir in the sofrito, 2 teaspoons salt, cumin, tomato sauce, water, olives, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, cover the dish and bake until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork, about 3 hours. Let stand in the sauce until cool enough to handle.
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Shred the meat coarsely by hand or using two forks.
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Return it to the sauce and add the celery and carrots. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
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Watch the liquid as it cooks, and add more broth or water as needed.
- Serve with black beans and yellow rice.
*Now, sofrito purists will tell you that it has to be simmered or braised before it’s a true sofrito. I disagree with this entirely. At least the way I use it, it always gets cooked anyway, and why would I braise it just to leave all that flavor in the braising pot? I say throw it together raw, and let it cook and meld flavors in whatever dish you’re making as it cooks.
Alternative cooking method: Add all ingredients for Ropa Vieja to a crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours.
Chef J. - The Culinary Evangelist 
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