Ropa Vieja

I like food. Really. I like to buy it, I like to cook it, and I really, really like to eat it. And I don't discriminate. Unless it comes from the sea, I probably like it. But if I had to pick one favorite this would be it. Ropa Vieja.

It means "old clothes" in spanish, and its a traditional Cuban dish. I first discovered it while exploring Cuban cuisine at a place called Havana Cafe in Phoenix, AZ. It was my first time eating there (now I'm a regular customer whenever I'm in town) and I'd never heard of the dish, but it sounded good. Its basically a stew of shredded beef, peppers and onions, seasoned with garlic, cumin, oregano. My dad and I once took my grandmother, who grew up in Cuba, and she said it was the most authentic Cuban dish she's ever eaten in the States.

This recipe is straight from Havana Cafe's website. I tried making it once a few years ago and it couldn't have gone worse. The butcher gave me the wrong - more expensive - cut of meat, which just didn't shred right. I didn't know how to peel tomatoes so I just threw them in chopped (I've since learned) and it was underseasoned. But I couldn't let my favorite dish go without a fight; no, this recipe deserved a second chance! So with a few more years of cooking under my belt I tried again, and I'm sure glad I did.


Ropa Vieja
courtesy of Havana Cafe

2 ½ pounds Flank Steak

4 Bay Leaves
1 Onion, cut into eighths
1 Carrot, sliced
1 Potato, cut into quarters
Salt and Pepper
Water to cover

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 medium Green Peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 Habanero Chiles, seeds and stem removed and chopped
1 can Chopped Tomatoes
1 can Tomato Paste
Oregano
Cumin
2 Bay Leaves
Salt and Pepper
1/3 cup Red Wine

Wash the flank steak and place it in a large heavy pot. Add the bay leaves, onion, carrot, potato, salt and pepper; bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1-2 hours until meat is tender.


Remove steak to a plate and cool, strain liquid into a bowl and set aside. When steak is cool enough to handle, shred it using two forks.

In a large fry pan, add olive oil and sauté the next 5 ingredients until tender. Add the tomatoes, wine, and 1 cup of the reserved liquid. Season to taste and cook for about 20 minutes uncovered to reduce and create a sauce for the shredded meat.

Add the shredded meat and season to taste. Serve with rice and beans or moros.

Cuban Dinner

The actual Cuban name for this is Picadillo, but in my family it is simply known as Cuban Dinner. My whole extended family goes on vacation together quite a bit, and every time we are all together we convince my grandmother to make this. Though, I won't lie, its not much work to convince her :) My grandmother grew up in Cuba - my great grandfather was in the CIA and was based at Guantanamo. This is her recipe, based on what she ate in her childhood. Nowadays picadillo can be quite fancy, with potatoes or olives or capers or all sorts of yummy things mixed in, but this recipe is nice and simple. Just like Cuba, in the 30's.

Gran's Picadillo

1 lb ground beef
2 peppers
2 onions
Garlic
1 small can tomato paste
Red Wine
Cumin
Oregano
Black Beans
Rice

Brown beef in a large pan - it does not need to be done all the way, you'll be cooking it again. Remove beef from pan and saute chopped onions, peppers, and garlic. When the onions are done, remove 1/3 of the veggies and mix into the black beans. Return the beef to the pan with the remaining veggies. Add tomato paste plus 1 can-full each of water and red wine. Season to taste with cumin and oregano.

Serve with rice and black beans. My gran also serves with crusty bread or crackers.