'Ropa Vieja' Delicious Cuban Shredded Beef Stew

Delicious Cuban Shredded Beef Stew

• 1 tablespoon canola oil


• 1 Kg Boneless Beef Chuck (flank steak or brisket also work well)


• Kosher salt


• Freshly ground black pepper


• 1 carrot, scraped and sliced in half lengthwise


• 1 Cubanelle pepper or green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced


• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced


• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced


• 1 whole head of garlic, cloves peeled and roughly chopped (10 cloves or 3½ tablespoons)


• ½ cup dry white wine (Vermouth works well)


• 2 cups good quality canned tomato puree


• 1 6-ounce can tomato polpa


• 1 cup low-salt chicken broth


• 1 teaspoon ground cumin


• 1 teaspoon dried oregano


• 1 bay leaf


• ½ cup sliced green olives


• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

• For Garnish:


• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves


• 1 lime or two, cut into wedges

1. Season meat on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper.


2. Heat oil in a heavy (preferably cast iron) skillet.


3. Brown meat over high heat for 3 minutes per side.


4. Transfer to the slow cooker.


5. Toss in the sliced carrot.


6. Add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet along with the garlic, onions and peppers.


7. Turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 6-7 minutes until the vegetables are softened and starting to caramelize, stirring constantly for the first minute, to make sure the garlic doesn't brown.


8. Add wine and simmer for a minute, stirring and scraping the browned bits from the pan.


9. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.


10. In a medium bowl whisk tomato puree, tomato polpa, broth, dried spices and 2 teaspoons salt.


11. Pour over meat.


12. Cook on high for 6 hours.


13. After 5½ hours the beef  is transformed to a beautiful tenderness, remove meat and  pull into shreds using two forks.


14. After it's shredded, return meat to  the slow cooker.


15. Stir in sliced olives and a splash of vinegar, to build that final layer of flavor and cook for another  half hour.


16. Serve with a sprinkle of cilantro and lime wedges on the side.


17. Traditional accompaniments to this beef stew are white rice and black beans.