What is ropa vieja? The translation means old clothes, but I don’t know if it’s because old clothes are comfortable, like comfort food. Maybe it’s because you cook it as long as you would boil old clothes back in the day. Either way, it translates to shredded beef deliciousness!
Full disclosure, as yummy as this is, it’s not my favorite way to eat shredded beef. I prefer to make vaca frita (fried cow) with the ropa vieja meat, but that’s a post for another day. Ropa Vieja is my hubby’s favorite dish. He usually orders this when we eat out at a Cuban restaurant. Hey, sometimes this gal needs a night off, too!
I used to make this dish with flank steak, what a newbie mistake! I learned Mami makes it with shoulder London broil, which is way cheaper. You can buy enough to feed a battalion (batallón) or have enough for great leftovers!
I think Ropa Vieja is the king of leftovers because it tastes even better the next day, and you can make standout party food like shredded beef quesadillas, shredded beef empanadas, or shredded beef and maduros flatbreads. I love having appetizers for dinner, don’t you? It magically transforms dinner time into party time, especially with a glass of merlot.
Mami always made ropa vieja in the pressure cooker. But all the cool kids are using the instant pot these days, and I wanna be cool, so I switched it up. This ropa vieja recipe’s directions are the same in either the Instant Pot or the pressure cooker.
Some folks make the Ropa Vieja in the slow cooker, but no matter how many recipes I’ve tried, it’s just not a winner. You really need to simmer the beef at a higher temp to get the sauce to reduce. Otherwise, it’s more like shredded beef soup… not a fan. You could, however, cook the beef in the slow cooker for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low and then transfer the beef to the stovetop to finish it.
You can serve this over rice with twice-fried green plantains (tostones) or fried sweet plantains (plátano maduro). I’m really into rice bowls these days, so I like to try different bowl buddies, like:
Traditional Cuban: Shredded beef, white rice, sweet plantain bits (maduros), and black beans (or you can use congri rice instead of the rice and beans).
2nd Generation Cuban: Ropa Vieja, Brown Rice, Roasted Cauliflower, and cilantro.
Mashed Cuban Bowl: Ropa Vieja, yuca mash, carrot slices, and Brussel sprouts. It’s like a deconstructed Cuban shepherd’s pie.
I hope you enjoy this authentic Ropa Vieja recipe and try the other dishes you can make with the leftovers.
