Typically this dish is made with flank steak, which is lean and has long, shreddy fibers, and is how the dish earned the name “old clothes.” It’s the traditional choice, but we find it can be a bit tough, even after it’s braised for a long time. We prefer chuck roast for its fat, tenderness, and richness, but at the end of the day, this will be good with whatever you have on hand. Serve with maduros (fried sweet plantains) and Cuban-style black beans.
Ingredients
8 servings
3
2
2
2
2
8
½
4
1
2
1
½
1
2
¾
2
Preparation
Step 1
Pat roast dry with paper towels. Heat oil in a large heatproof pot over high. Cook chuck roast, turning occasionally, until browned on both sides, 5–7 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Step 2
Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 250°. Cook onion, bell peppers, and salt (plus 2 Tbsp. oil if using flank steak), stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 12–14 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently and scraping bottom of pan, until vegetables are golden brown, 3–5 minutes. Stir in wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until evaporated. Stir in paprika, oregano, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne until vegetables are coated; continue to cook, stirring, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and coarsely break up with a spoon (they’ll continue to break down as they cook). Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Step 3
Nestle roast into tomato mixture and tuck in bay leaves on either side. Cover and transfer to oven. Braise roast and vegetables until meat is very tender and shreds easily, 2½–3 hours. Let cool 15 minutes.
Step 4
Skim excess fat from sauce; discard bay leaves. Using a potato masher or 2 forks, tear and smash beef into sauce until it’s shredded and incorporated into sauce. Stir in olives and vinegar.
Step 5
Divide ropa vieja among plates. Top with cilantro. Serve with rice, maduros, and beans alongside.
Leave a Review
Reviews (67)
Back to TopI make Cuban Ropa vieja and I have never used Mexican oregano, cayenne pepper, whole tomatoes and vinegar plus no cilantro on rice either. I learned from our Cuban cocinera.
Manny F.
Boca Raton Florida
9/27/2023
Great recipe! The amount of DIAMOND KOSHER SALT was fine. (It’s less saltier than Morton’s, people!) It’s a keeper. Thank you Rick.
Mai
Calabasas, CA
4/24/2022
This recipe is so good BUT the salt measurement must be wrong. 2 tablespoons is way too much. It ruined the dish. I’m surprised bon appetit hasn’t corrected it.
Ashley
Colorado
4/13/2022
Best ropa ever. I live in Miami, grew up eating cuban food and I compare cuban restaurants' to this recipe its that good!
Jamie
Florida
12/13/2021
My cuban husband, born and raised in Miami, said this was the best ropa vieja he has ever had. It was SO GOOD. I used chuck, salted as I cooked/to taste, and skipped the cayenne (to keep it more traditional). It was wonderful comfort food. Will go into our regular line up for sure!
Dori
Washington, DC
11/8/2021
OK, so I think those Tablespoons of salt were meant to be teaspoons. I would also skip the cayenne. If you want it to be more flavorful, just add one celery stick and one carrot and remove when you remove the bayleaves. I understand that the pelattis are normally better quality tomatoes, but it sure could benefit from using fire roasted diced tomatoes.
Vanessa
NYC
11/21/2020
Where are the various peppers and Spanish onions...a lot missing from this recipe to call it Ropa Vieja or "Old Clothes" translation. I may be a white cracker who grew up in S. Miami but I hung out with a lot of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Islander, South American indigenous folk in the early 1970's and this looks nothing close to the comfort food I grew up with except the flank steak. Every thing I've tried from Bon Appetit has been very delicious but this, I will not bother with. This recipe does look good but NOT Ropa Vieja good.
vinkman
Florida
10/13/2020
Overall it was very good. I find that 2 tablespoons is way too much and it was a tad salty. Given that, I didn’t add the olives. I’ll make it again and adjust salt to taste while veggies are cooking.
Cuecin
Texas
10/3/2020
Made this for the fam and they were fans. Low key forgot to add the vinegar in the end but still tasted great! Left out the olives because we didn't have any haha All i was able to find in the store was 2lbs of meat instead of 3 but even still it was enough for a family of 4, especially with rice and beans on the side. Didnt even adjust the seasonings and came out fine.
mromero
NY, NY
4/13/2020
I really enjoyed this recipe and it was so much more cost-effective (and delicious) to use chuck roast. I did it all on the oven and a half-recipe and it worked out really well. Mine came out a little salty but I realize that I had dry brined my chuck roast prior and will just need to be careful with what I add next time. The dish made tonight's Passover special. Thanks, Rick!
Anonymous
Baltimore, MD
4/10/2020
I was in Cuba a couple months ago and ate ropa vieja almost every day. To mirror the sweetness of the ropa vieja I had eaten, I used vidalia onions and only half the cayenne called for. Was delicious. Will make again but will omit the cayenne and slightly reduce the salt.
Anonymous
Boston, MA
4/9/2020
No mention of when the pimientos go in, this recipe sucks
CookieDookie
4/2/2020
Being born and raised in South Florida Cuban food is a staple. This is a great dish the only thing I don't agree with is the cayenne traditionally this recipe is not that spicy. I did think there was too much salt , next time I will cut back. I used the Chuck Roast and Seasoned before browning which is not mentioned in the directions. Also I substituted the white wine for dry Vermouth. Vermouth is my go to cooking alcohol it just makes everything better.
Tipsy Spatula
Dania Beach, FL
10/29/2019
Really delicious and complex flavors. My young kids loved it too and they hate everything. Winner.
Anonymous
Atlanta GA
10/21/2019
i hate it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous
no where im poor
10/1/2019