My Favorite Cuban Dish (Ropa Vieja)

I am new to the Steemit community, and I am very excited to read the many interesting posts. What I thought would be fun, is to share a favorite recipe. One of the great advantages of these types of platforms is the ability to bring all walks of life to one place, to share thoughts, experiences and one of those things we all love... Food! So, I wanted to share one of my first in the moment thoughts. This is my favorite dish, not just any dish but my absolute favorite. I am italian-american but I have "a thing" for cuban dishes.

The beautiful aspect of this dish, is the ability to customize it to your palate. If there is any one ingredient you don't like, such as a spice then feel free to remove it. Cumin is key though, that is the only spice I would be hesitant to remove without significant consequence.

2 tablespoon vegetable oil, or substitute virgin oil as a healthier option (I do!)
2 pounds beef flank steak (you can use a brisket or chuck steak, but it will be much tougher)
1 cup beef broth (or 1 bouillon cube equivalent)
1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large onion, sliced
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips (For color use 1 medium green & 1 medium red)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 7oz Jar of Goya's Manzanilla Olives with Pimientos (this is to your taste, I love olives)
1 tablespoon capers (can go a little more but start here and develop amount by your taste)

So you must be thinking, thats allot of ingredients! This is a slow cooker recipe, so all the work is in the food prep. This will feed 4-6 people depending on appetite and sides (typically rice), cook time is ~6 hours or more. 6 hrs on High heat or ~8 hours on Medium heat. I recommend high heat and letting it stew for 6.5 hours so the meat is softer.

Now for the instructions:

1. Heat ~1 teaspoon vegetable or virgin oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the flank steak on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side. You might be tempted to cook a little more to cut down on slow cook time, be careful as this may make the meat tougher!

2. If your steak is in one piece, I recommend breaking down the ~2 lbs of beef or your cooking time will increase. You won't loose much flavor or texture by cutting into smaller pieces. I would transfer to a cutting board and cut beef into 2-3 long strips, you can even then cut in half if you don't want too long or stringy meat (I do both and this is really more for your own preference!)

3. Transfer beef to a slow cooker. Pour in the beef broth and tomato sauce, then add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, cilantro, parsley, olive or vegetable oil and vinegar. HOLD off on adding the olives and capers. Stir until well blended. Cover, and you will cook on High for a minimum of ~6 hours.

4. Check back in 3-4 hours, if beef can start to be shredded then I recommend shredding what you can at this point. I prefer to shred using 2 forks right in the crock pot. I shred meet once now, then again at the 5 or 6 hour mark. I allow it to stew for a least another 30 minutes once all meat is shredded. Shred to your liking, I like to leave a variation in sizes.

5. When ready to serve, which is typically around 6.5 hours (or when meat soft to your liking). Serve the dish with tortillas or rice!

Additional considerations:

• Service with black fried beans over white rice
• Drink of choice, a Mojito of course!
• Serve with chopped fried plantains
• A fresh slice of lime and a small squeeze once served for added flavor

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and do feel free to comment or even add your own suggestions! I would love to hear from those of you who do enjoy this dish, and what spin you added!