Cuba's national dish — shredded flank steak braised with onion, bell pepper, tomato, olives, and capers in a deeply savory sofrito.
Ropa vieja ('old clothes') is Cuba's national dish — flank or skirt steak braised until falling apart, then shredded and simmered with a Cuban sofrito of onion, bell pepper, garlic, and tomato, finished with green olives, capers, and a splash of dry white wine. The Spanish name refers to the meat looking like 'old shredded clothes' once pulled apart. The dish has roots in medieval Sephardic Spain, traveled to Cuba via Iberian colonizers, and was perfected on the island in the 18th-19th century. Today it's served across Cuba and in every Cuban-American household with white rice, black beans (frijoles negros), and fried sweet plantains (plátanos maduros) — the classic 'comida criolla' plate. The leftovers stuffed into a Cuban bread sandwich the next day are equally legendary.
Serves 6
Place flank steak in a large pot. Add halved onion, carrots, celery, smashed garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook 2-2.5 hours until the meat is so tender it shreds when poked.
Lift the meat onto a board. Strain the broth through a fine sieve; discard solids. Reserve 500 ml of the strained broth.
Once cool enough to handle, shred the beef with two forks (or your hands) — pull along the grain to get the 'old clothes' look. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a wide heavy pot over medium-low. Add sliced onions and bell peppers with a pinch of salt. Cook 15 minutes, stirring, until very soft and starting to caramelize.
Add minced garlic and tomato paste. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens.
Pour in the white wine. Boil hard for 3 minutes until the alcohol cooks off and the liquid is reduced by half.
Add crushed tomatoes, the reserved 500 ml braising broth, cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika. Stir well. Simmer 10 minutes to integrate.
Stir in the shredded beef. Add olives and capers. Simmer covered on the lowest heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces to a thick saucy consistency that clings to the meat. Taste; adjust salt.
Mound steaming white rice on a plate, with black beans alongside. Pile the ropa vieja generously next to them. Add 3-4 slices of fried sweet plantains for color.
Sprinkle cilantro and parsley over the meat. Eat with a wide spoon — Cuban families mix rice, beans, meat, and plantains together as they eat.
Flank or skirt steak only — they have the right grain for the shredded look.
Save the braising broth — it's the secret to a deeply flavored sauce. Most non-Cuban recipes throw it away.
Make a day ahead — ropa vieja is famously better the next day. The meat soaks up the sofrito overnight.
Ropa vieja con plátanos: serve with sweet fried plantains for the Eastern Cuban version.
Vaca frita: similar but the shredded beef is pan-fried until crispy before serving with onions on top.
Vegetarian: use shredded jackfruit (about 800 g) instead of beef — texture is shockingly similar.
Refrigerate up to 5 days; freezes 3 months. Better on day 2-3. Use leftovers in a Cuban sandwich the next day — classic and excellent.
Ropa vieja traveled from medieval Sephardic Spain (where it was called 'ropa vieja' in 14th-century cookbooks) to the Caribbean with Iberian colonizers. The Cuban version, perfected in the 18th-19th century, became the unofficial national dish by the 20th. The famous Cuban restaurant Versailles in Miami's Little Havana has been serving the same ropa vieja recipe since 1971; lines run out the door.
Yes — 35 minutes high pressure to braise the beef. Then shred and proceed with the sofrito as usual.
Different flavor profiles: Cuban uses Spanish sofrito + olives + capers + white wine. Mexican uses dried chilies + cumin + lime. Both shredded, both delicious, very different dishes.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 6 servings total
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