Ropa Vieja

I like to try foods from around the world and I am fascinated by Cuban food. Heavily seasoned but not spicy, Ropa Viejha (rope-uh vee-aa-ha) literally means old clothes. The beef in this dish is shredded after a long braising time to look like old clothes. Hence the name. It is a great and easy way to try new flavors.

Ropa Vieja

2 lb flank steak
3 large tomatoes, seeded, and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded, and chopped into 1 inch pieces
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup tomato sauce
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground chile powder
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano

Put meat in crockpot and sprinkle with the seasonings. Pour the vegetables and tomato sauce over the meat. Turn crockpot to high and cook for 6-8 hours, or until beef is easily shredded with two forks. Shred meat and place back into cooking liquid. To be authentic, serve over rice with black beans as a side. I served it to my family in softened corn tortillas, topped with black beans, and cheese.