I love love love this recipe for Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja. It’s a perfect slow cooker meal, which means dinner is ready for me when I come home from work.
Ropa Vieja translates to “old clothes,” referring to the shredded beef and colorful peppers in a tomato sauce with caramelized onions that resemble torn cloth. It’s a well-known Cuban dish, but its origins go back to Sephardic dishes in the Middle Ages.
This version has a bit more prep work to it to fully develop the flavors. Trust me, it’s worth it!
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds flank steak
- 3 bell peppers (1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow), thinly sliced
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or 3/4 tsp ground cumin)
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- pinch ground allspice
- 2 whole cloves (or a pinch of ground cloves)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- pimiento-stuffed green olives, to taste
- 1 tablespoon brine from the olive jar
- Cooked white or yellow rice
- 1 can black beans, optional, for serving