Caribbean Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Cuban Ropa Vieja
Savor the tender, melt-in-your-mouth shredded beef slow-cooked in a robust, tomato-based sauce rich with peppers and onions. This iconic Cuban staple is hearty, deeply flavorful, and incredibly satisfying!
No common allergens detected
Based on this recipe's ingredient list. Always verify with your own brands and labels.
Instructions
5 steps- 1
Cook the beef: Place the flank steak in a large pot with water to cover, half an onion, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 2 hours until tender.
- 2
Shred the beef: Remove the beef from the broth, let it cool slightly, and shred it with two forks into long strands. Reserve 1/2 cup of the broth.
- 3
Sauté aromatics: In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add the remaining sliced onion, green bell pepper, and minced garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes until soft.
- 4
Build the sauce: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, cumin, oregano, and the reserved beef broth. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- 5
Combine and simmer: Add the shredded beef into the sauce. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 20 minutes until the sauce thickens and the flavors meld.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
68/100
Works for many families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving520
Calories
47 g
Protein
6 g
Carbs
35 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Ropa vieja, literally old clothes, is Cuba's national dish, named for the way slow-cooked beef shreds into strands that look like tattered rags. Its roots reach back to Sephardic Spain, and it arrived in Cuba where flank steak simmered in a tomato-pepper sofrito became an emblem of home cooking.
Listahan note
This version first boils the flank steak to tenderness and reserves the broth, then shreds and folds the beef back into a fresh sofrito so the strands soak up the tomato sauce rather than just sitting on top.
Technique cues
- Boiling the flank steak whole for two hours breaks down the connective tissue so it pulls into clean long strands with two forks.
- Reserving half a cup of the cooking broth and stirring it into the sauce returns the beef's own flavor instead of plain water.
- Simmering the shredded beef uncovered for the final 20 minutes lets the sauce reduce and cling to each strand rather than pooling.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Slice the onion, pepper, and garlic for the sofrito while the flank steak boils so the skillet starts the moment it shreds.
- Make-ahead
- Boil and shred the beef a day ahead; it stores in its broth and the flavors deepen overnight.
- Leftover move
- Pile leftover ropa vieja into a pressed Cuban-style sandwich or over white rice with a fried egg.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Save the strained boiling broth in a jar for soup before you wash the pot, since the rest cleans up easily.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
flank steak
Main protein
Purpose: Flank's long grain is what shreds into the signature ragged strands of ropa vieja.
Handling: Boil it whole until fork-tender, then shred along the grain into thin threads.
Adaptation: Skirt steak or chuck works; chuck shreds richer but takes longer to tenderize.
green bell pepper
Sofrito base
Purpose: Green pepper is part of the classic Cuban sofrito that flavors the sauce.
Handling: Slice it into thin strips so it softens and threads in with the beef.
Adaptation: Cubanelle or red bell pepper works; red adds a sweeter note.
crushed tomatoes
Sauce body
Purpose: Crushed tomatoes give the dish its red braising sauce that coats the shredded beef.
Handling: Add them after the aromatics soften so they simmer down rather than just heat through.
Adaptation: Tomato sauce plus a spoon of paste gives similar body if crushed are unavailable.
cumin
Warm spice
Purpose: Cumin is the earthy backbone spice of the Cuban seasoning here.
Handling: Stir it into the sofrito so it toasts briefly before the tomatoes go in.
Adaptation: Ground coriander shifts it brighter; use a smaller amount to avoid muting the dish.
onion
Aromatic anchor
Purpose: Onion sweetens the sofrito and balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
Handling: Use half in the boil for the broth and slice the rest thin for the sauce.
Adaptation: Yellow or white onion both work; shallot is milder and slightly sweeter.
Technique notes
- Shred along the grain, not across it, to get the long strands that give the dish its name and texture.
- Do not skip reserving the broth before discarding the boil aromatics; it is the sauce's depth.
- Keep the final simmer uncovered so the sauce reduces and concentrates around the beef.
Ingredient swaps
- Weeknight shortcut
- Pressure-cook the flank steak for about 45 minutes instead of a two-hour boil, then proceed as written.
- Lower-sodium direction
- Use no-salt-added crushed tomatoes and unsalted broth, seasoning with the cumin and oregano to taste at the end.
Serve alongside
- White rice
- Black beans
- Fried sweet plantains (maduros)
- Yuca with mojo
- Cuba libre
- Materva soda
- Cafe cubano
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate ropa vieja in its sauce in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat gently in a covered pan over low heat, adding a splash of broth if the sauce has thickened too far.
- Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Equipment
- Large pot for boiling the steak
- Wide skillet for the sauce
- Two forks for shredding
- Fine strainer for the broth
Make this household-aware
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