Recipe

Cuban Ropa Vieja With Fried Plantains And Rice Recipe

Add Step-by-Step Photos	Mountainmama / All my dishes 1 year, 1 month ago This Latin recipe, brought to the New World from Spain centuries ago, is like a beef hash with a lot of soul. It is a dish that is common in Central and South America and the Caribbean, and there are many versions; this one is Cuban. There are many t... More Prep:20m Cook:140m Servings:4	Mountainmam
	flank steak onions wine spices

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Ingredients

For Ropa Vieja:

3 quarts water

6 garlic cloves

2 onions, cut into quarters

3 stalks celery, chopped

2 jalapeno chiles, chopped

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon juniper berries *

4 sprigs thyme

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak or flank steak, select grade or better, cut into 2 or 3 inch strips

For Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup white wine

1 green bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced

For Plantains:

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 ripe plantains, peeled and cut on a diagonal into 1/4-inch slices

Approximately 3 cups cooked long-grain white rice

Directions

TO PREPARE ROPA VIEJA: Place the water, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, jalapenos, peppercorns, juniper berries, thyme, bay leaves, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the steak, cover the pan, and cook over low heat for 2 hours or until the beef is tender. Remove the meat and set aside. Let the broth cool. When the beef is cool enough, using your fingers, shred with the grain into 3- or 4-inch lengths and set aside.

TO PREPARE SAUCE: Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the garlic and onion, and sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the oregano, bay leaves, tomato paste, wine, vinegar, 1 cup of the cooled beef broth, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes and then add the bell peppers and shredded beef. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaves.

TO PREPARE PLANTAINS: Mix together the plantains, mix together the pepper, salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a bowl. Lay the plantain slices on a work surface and sprinkle on one side only with the spice mixture. Heat 1/8 inch of vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat and place the plantain slices, spice side down, in the hot oil. Cook for about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown or slightly black. Remove the slices and drain on paper towels. Keep warm. Serve the ropa vieja with about 3 cups of cooked long-grain white rice and garnish with the fried plantains, spice side up.

TIPS: The rest of the broth in which the beef cooked can be strained and used for stock or as a base for soup (just add fresh vegetables). As an alternative to the plantains, serve cooked black beans or another bean recipe that you like.

* Juniper berries are the aromatic, small dried berries of the juniper tree. They are available in the spice section of the grocery store. They are commonly used in pickling mixtures and to season poultry and game.

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