This is a camposito-style recipe the technical name for which in Spanish is carne desmenuzada (which means “shredded meat”). “Ropa vieja” is the more common name for this dish – it means “old clothes” in Spanish, the shredded meat resembling ripped up old rags.
Ingredients:
½ to ⅔ a pound total weight flank steak (most traditional), chuck roast or beef brisket (my favorite) – you may substitute ¾ of a pound shredded cabbage for “poor man’s” version
1, 6-ounce can tomato paste
3 tablespoons yellow (Chinese-style) curry powder
1½ teaspoons ground, black pepper and salt to taste
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
4 ounces pimento-stuffed, green olives, chopped (I use the jumbo Spanish variety)
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped (or two to three Anaheim chilies, chopped)
1 small onion, finely chopped or minced
4½ teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 bay leaf (whole)
1 cup wine (any kind), or beef (or chicken) broth – tastes best with beef broth!
½ teaspoon salt & ¼ teaspoon ground, black pepper
Cooked/canned, diced new potatoes (see note below)
1 cup cooked, white rice
Preparation:
Rinse off the meat and place it into a large, deep pot on the stove with all the other ingredients. Cover and simmer approximately 2½ to 3 hours on very low heat.
Remove the meat to a plate, shred it with a pair of forks, replace it in the pot and cook a few more minutes, until the mixture is good and hot.
Serve in a wide-rimmed bowl over about ½ a cup of cooked, white rice per each serving.
Optional Slow Cooker Preparation:
Rinse off the meat. Layer onion, bell pepper, potato and beef or cabbage in a small (2-quart) slow cooker.
Mix remaining ingredients together well into a sauce and pour over the beef/cabbage. Cover, but cock the lid, and cook 8 hours on high heat.
If making with beef, remove meat to a plate or bowl and shred it after 7 hours. Replace shredded meat to the slow cooker, mix all contents together well.
If it’s really soupy, remove to a saucepan on the stove and let it reduce on medium-high heat uncovered at an active, bubbling simmer until it’s thickened up to your liking. Serve over cooked, white rice.
Note: Though this dish is normally served over rice or potatoes, I like to add potatoes in at the start to let them absorb all the other flavors, and also serve over rice!
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