Slow-cooked ropa vieja (Cuban shredded beef) over the most delicious red rice packed with warm spices and bold flavors
Happy Sunday friends!! I hope you’ve all had an incredible weekend. I’ve got a fabulous recipe for you to kick off this week: Ropa Vieja!!!
In this chilly weather, there is truly nothing more comforting than a big ol’ pot of slow cooked beef. This one is full of spices such as cumin, turmeric, adobo seasoning, and more. I used beef chuck which leaves you with ultra-tender meat that you can literally cut with a spoon.
This recipe is adapted from the Ropa Vieja recipe from Ambitious Kitchen. Full recipe below!
Ropa Vieja
2½ to 3 pound lean beef chuck, or trimmed of excess fat
1½ teaspoons kosher salt + more to taste*
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons adobo seasoning
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 6oz can tomato paste
½ cup dry white wine (optional)
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (or sub tomato sauce)
1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, or homemade
½ cup pimento-stuffed olives, sliced
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 bay leaves
Start by salting the chuck roast. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a pan and heat over medium-high. Sear chuck roast in skillet on all sides until a nice brown crust forms, then transfer to a slow cooker.
In the same skillet, add remaining tbsp olive oil. Add in the peppers and onion and saute until onions begin to caramelize, about 10-12 minutes. Add garlic and saute for a couple extra minutes. Add spices and tomato paste to allow the flavors to bloom, then transfer to a slow cooker. Optional but recommended step: deglaze the pan with ½ cup white wine, scraping up all brown bits on the pan, then transfer to slow cooker; or, use ½ cup of the broth in place of the wine.
To the slow cooker, add in your broth, crushed tomatoes, olives, and cilantro. Cover with lid and cook on low for 8 hours, or until beef is extremely tender and easily shredded.
In the last 15 minutes, remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred it. Place back into the slow cooker and turn to high for 15 minutes. Turn slow cooker to warm, then serve with red rice.
Red Rice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely diced yellow onion
1/2 cup finely diced green bell pepper
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup no-salt-added tomato sauce (just tomatoes as ingredient)
1 tablespoon sazon seasoning; I use Louisa brand, or make it homemade
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 ½ cups chicken broth, or water
2 cups white basmati rice, rinsed in a sieve until the water runs clear
½ cup pimento-stuffed olives, finely chopped
Start by heating olive oil in a medium pot. Add in diced yellow onion and saute for 5 minutes, until golden and soft. Add in bell pepper and saute for another 5 minutes or until bell pepper has softened a bit. Add garlic, saute for another 2 minutes. Add in sazon seasoning and tomato paste, saute for a minute or until the tomato paste has deepened in color. Add in rice, tomato sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, and olives, and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove pan from heat (keep the lid on), and steam for an additional 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
I hope you love this recipe!!! It’s so delicious and great for a crowd. It also makes for some yummy leftovers! Enjoy <3
With love,
Abigail