Photo: Ropa Vieja Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck stew meat
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes
- 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large onion, halved and sliced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cloves garlic; 2 crushed, 2 minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1/2 cup halved pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Crusty bread, for serving (optional)
Directions
Pat the meat dry, then season all over with the oregano, cumin and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 6-quart pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the meat and sear on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, carrots, onion, tomato paste, crushed garlic, bay leaf and 1 1/4 cups water. Lock the lid in place, increase the heat to high and bring the cooker to high pressure. Lower the heat to maintain high pressure and cook 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and use the quick-release valve to bring down the pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bell peppers, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
Carefully remove the pressure-cooker lid. Discard the bay leaf, then transfer the meat mixture to a bowl and shred the meat into thin rope-like pieces with a fork. Add the peppers, olives, parsley and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with bread, if desired.
Photograph by Kana Okada
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By The Review Police
on March 17, 2013
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This came out great, and the pressure cooker certainly speeds up what would normally take much longer- in this form, it can even be prepared for a weeknight dinner!
Please ignore the negativity below. It's not this, it's not that, etc. Perhaps their lives are so perfect that they can complain about anything? I don't know what skirt steak costs in their market, but making this dish would cost me $40! Even buying a small chuck roast for this dish would cost $15+. This is "poor people's" food at it's best, and using chuck trimmings is both affordable and delicious.
I don't know what previous reviewer meant about it not shredding like "proper" ropa vieja? This trait is from breaking down tissue in the muscle fiber and occurs in practially every cut of beef. Perhaps she did not braise it long enough? Chuck trimmings do indeed shred.
(My actual review is 4 star - gave it 5 to offset the behaviour of reviewing words, not food.
By Dee Chef
on April 29, 2012
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The recipe is not that bad, except for the use of the "beef chuck stew meat." Even the picture seems to display the traditional flank or brisket cut that may be used, not cubed stew meat as is written.
By HungryUSMCFam
San Diego, CA
on September 01, 2011
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I know it's not the traditional way of making Ropa Vieja but I didn't have skirt steak in my freezer and wanted to try something new. It worked out just fine and tastes GREAT!
I did leave it in the pressure cooker for a full 30 minutes to make sure the beef cubes were tender enough to shred and I don't like olives so I left them out. It had a little to much liquid for my taste when I opened the pressure cooker so I shredded the cubes it in a deep skillet over low heat and let the liquid reduce. Served it up with white rice for an awesome hearty dinner.
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