"knock your socks off" Ropa vieja

[abjcooking]

OK, I have made this several times in the past, but have lost the recipe. In searching for a recipe I have come up with this one, but I am wanting to know if there are any reccomendations you might have to give this dish even more bold flavor while still keeping it authentic?



Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 lbs skirt or flank steak or 3 1/2 lbs chuck or arm roast
• salt and pepper
• flour
• olive oil

• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, mashed with 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 green peppers, chopped
• 32 ounce can crushed tomatoes or 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Do not trim excess fat from meat before cooking! (You can remove the fat when you shred the beef.) Salt and pepper the meat and lightly dust with flour. In a large Dutch oven, brown the meat in oil. Add enough water to surround the meat, but NOT cover it. Simmer, covered, until done, one to two hours. Meat will be fork tender. (Add more water as necessary to keep from burning!)
2. Remove from heat and cool. Shred the meat. (Slice flank steak across grain in 3-inch strips, then shred strips of steak by hand.)
3. Sauté onions, garlic and green pepper in oil until limp.
4. Add all remaining ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove bay leaves and serve with rice.
   

Source: Silvia Cruzalvarez at icuban.com

 

[marmalady]

Well, if you want to stay 'traditional', the recipe you have is pretty accurate.


If you want to punch it up a little, maybe add just a little sherry vinegar - maybe some hot pepper flakes, or chopped hot peppers in vinegar - more garlic; and don't be afraid to use that salt/pepper well for seasoning. I'd also let it cook out a little longer, to give those flavors a chance to really 'marry'. I'd use the 'hour' as the bottom cooking time, and maybe go 1 and a half? It'll help get the meat really, really tender, too.