Ropa Vieja

About This Recipe

Ropa Vieja is the national dish of Cuba and translates to “Old Clothes”.  This recipe is slightly modified from the traditional version to add more vegetables.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chuck roast
• 2 medium green peppers
• 1 medium red pepper
• 1 medium sweet onion
• 2 Tbsp garlic (minced)
• 3 stalks celery
• 3 carrot⁣⁣s
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 cup green olives
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 ½ cups cooked rice
• 2 ½ cups black beans

Instructions

1. Heat a large dutch oven or pot over high heat and add 1 Tbsp of olive oil.
2. Salt and pepper both sides of your roast and brown each side in the pot. Be sure not to burn it, it will only require a short amount of time on each side. Remove from pot and set aside.
3. Wash and cut your peppers and onion into strips. Peel and cut the carrots into small discs about ¼ of an inch thick. Cut the celery into a small dice.
4. Reduce the heat on your pot to medium high and add 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Add the the peppers, onions, carrots, celery, and 2 Tbsp of minced garlic to the pot. Cook for around 10 minutes until the onions have browned.
5. Pour in ½ cup of white wine and stir to deglaze the pot.
6. Add in the roast, 1 cup of chicken broth, 6 oz of tomato paste, 15 oz of crushed tomatoes, 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, 1 Tbsp cumin, 1 Tbsp paprika, 1 Tbsp oregano, and 2 bay leaves and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
7. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 4 hours.
8. Remove the beef from the pot and shred with two forks. Return to the pot with 1 cup of green olives. Simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes to thicken the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. If you have a lot of juice left in the pot it may be helpful to strain out the excess liquid using a colander. Some liquid is good but you don’t want too much in the bottom of your containers when you store your meals.
10. Cook the rice using your preferred method. 1 cup of uncooked rice will yield around 3 cups of cooked rice.
11. Heat the beans in a small sauce pot.
12. This recipe makes 5 servings. In each of your containers, add ½ cup of black beans and ½ cup of rice. Divide the meat mixture evenly 5 ways, straining out any juice if necessary.