Ropa Vieja

Ropa Vieja.  Ever heard of it?  It's a classic cuban dish meaning "old clothes."  I know that sounds totally awful, but it's so named for its long-cooked beef resembling shredded rags.  Still not sold?  Let me tell you my little story about ropa vieja.

I was first introduced to the dish on my 21st birthday.  A few friends (including my fellow foodie Em), my then-fiance-now-hubs and I went out to Philly's famed Old City restaurant, Cuba Libre.  I'd been wanting to go there the minute I heard about it at least two years prior, but you know how college kids eat (not at fancy restaurants).  I ordered the ropa vieja on a whim, just to try it out.  People, that ropa vieja was a melt-in-your-mouth-I-think-I-need-thirds-no-fourths kind of meal.  So clearly, I became obsessed.

Flash forward to a few years later, when I decided to quit pining for it and make it myself.  I found a recipe on Food & Wine, made it, and really enjoyed what I'd recreated at home.  Then I promptly photographed it and forgot to share it with you.  Until last night!  Hubs and I went on our first good date in months to a little Cuban restaurant (Emilio's) where I had me some ropa vieja and remembered that I hadn't shared mine with you.  How rude of me!  So here we are, and here it is, in all its glory.

 The main part of the dish is the slow-cooked beef.  If you've got that part down, you're well on your way to a good dish.  This recipe is done entirely on the stove top, but I'm sure there are oven-cooked versions out there, too.  The beef is browned, simmered, shredded and added to a veggie/broth mixture and cooked until it looks like (you guessed it!) old clothes and tastes like magic.

I serve it over white rice, but it would be delicious paired with yuca (boiled or fried) or fried plaintains.  Saffron rice would be excellent, too.  Or maybe some black beans.  Just go for all of it and have a Cuban feast.

The meat mixture is also great the next day.  I like to wrap it up in tortillas with avocado.  Quesadillas would be yummy, too.  I'm really wishing I had some in the fridge.

I'm telling you, friends- in this case, I prefer old clothes to new ones.

Ropa Vieja
David Rosengarten, via Food & Wine

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 pounds flank steak, cut with the grain into 6 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 medium red bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 medium green bell peppers, thinly sliced
14 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 1/3 cup)
8 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
One 28-ounce can peeled tomatoes in puree, drained and coarsely chopped (4 cups)
1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed

In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until shimmering. Blot the flank steak dry with paper towels and season it generously with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches, brown the meat over high heat, about 10 minutes. Transfer the browned steak to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat. Return all of the meat to the casserole. Add the water and 1 bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the meat is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Transfer the stewed meat to a large bowl and cover with aluminum foil; reserve 3 cups of the cooking liquid. Discard the bay leaf.

In the same casserole, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add the onions and red and green bell peppers to the casserole and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Lay the cloves, cinnamon and the remaining bay leaf on a square of cheesecloth. Gather the edges and tie them with kitchen string; add the spice bag to the casserole. Stir in the tomatoes, capers and the reserved 3 cups of cooking liquid; bring to a boil, then simmer over moderately low heat until the sauce thickens, 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard the spice bag.

Meanwhile, using 2 forks, pull the meat into long shreds. Add the meat to the sauce and simmer over low heat until warmed through, then serve.