Jeff’s
Ropa Vieja
Skirt steak braised six hours in a sofrito of onion, garlic, and bell peppers until it renders into a smooth, silky stew you shred and serve over pappardelle or rice.
A slow-braised Cuban beef stew built from seven centuries of culinary history — and five years of kitchen research. Skirt steak braises low and slow for six hours in a rich sofrito of onions, garlic, and bell peppers with tomato sauce, tomato paste, and a classic blend of spices, until the fat and connective tissue render into a smooth, silky stew with deep, unctuous flavor. Shred the beef, return it to the pot, and serve over pappardelle or rice with black beans and fried plantains. Worth every hour it takes.
Read the full story — The Mystery in the MeatBeef & Dry Brine
- 2–3 lbs skirt steak (outside preferred)
- to taste kosher salt and black pepper
No skirt steak? Hanger, flank, flap, or brisket all work — look for intramuscular fat and connective tissue; avoid eye, round, or rump roast.
Sofrito
- 2 medium sweet onions, diced
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, half diced / half matchstick
- 1 medium green bell pepper, half diced / half matchstick
- 4–6 cloves garlic, minced
- 7 oz jar Goya whole pimento peppers, drained & rough-diced
- 1 dollop Hungarian mild paprika paste (or 2 tbsp sweet paprika)
No yellow or orange peppers on hand? Substitute 2 red bell peppers.
Stew
- 14 oz can tomato sauce (or 2 cups fresh crushed tomatoes, omit sugar)
- 4 oz tomato paste, tube preferred
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup non-alcoholic wine substitute*
- 2 cups beef bone broth
- 2–3 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp cumin, plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp oregano, plus more to taste
- as needed EVOO
*Whisk ½ cup unsweetened organic grape juice, ¼ cup beef bone broth, and 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar. Don't substitute alcohol-free wine — too sweet, too thin. Crianza-style Rioja also works if you drink.
To Serve
- 1 cup basmati rice or pappardelle noodles
- 1 can Goya black beans, drained & rinsed
- to taste ripe plantains, for maduros
Dry-Brine the Beef day before
Cut the beef into Dutch-oven-sized portions with no overlapping. Season liberally on all sides with kosher salt and pepper. Place uncovered on a plate in the refrigerator overnight — the salt draws out moisture, dissolves, and gets reabsorbed, seasoning the meat from within.
Preheat & Heat the Pot
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Coat the bottom of a Dutch oven with a thin layer of EVOO and heat over medium-high on the stovetop.
Brown the Beef 1–2 min per side
When the oil shimmers, brown the beef in stages — pieces should not touch. Sear about 1–2 minutes per side to develop a crust. Remove and set aside.
Build the Sofrito Base 10–15 min
Reduce heat to medium, adding more oil if needed. Add the diced onions and scrape up the fond from the beef. Cook 5 minutes, then add the diced peppers (not the matchstick peppers yet). Cook over medium-low, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of bone broth if anything sticks, until softened and beginning to caramelize.
Season the Sofrito watch the garlic
Add the pimento peppers and cook 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, oregano, and paprika; cook 1–2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste; cook 1–2 minutes. Add the garlic last and cook just until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds — it goes from fragrant to burnt in the space of two seconds, so don't walk away.
Deglaze & Build the Braising Liquid
Increase heat to medium. Add the wine substitute (or wine), stirring to deglaze. Bring to a simmer, then add the bone broth, tomato sauce, sugar, and bay leaves. Stir to combine and bring back to a simmer. Nestle the beef back in, cover, and transfer to the oven.
Braise 4–6 hours
Cook 4–6 hours total, stirring every 30 minutes. After 2–3 hours, add the matchstick-cut bell peppers. Cook time depends on the cut — fattier cuts with more connective tissue benefit from the full 6 hours; 4 hours is the minimum for any cut. For skirt steak, go 5–6 hours.
Shred & Return
At the 4–5 hour mark, remove the Dutch oven and place on the stovetop. Pull out the beef and set on a cutting board. Fish out and discard the bay leaves. Shred the beef with forks, return it to the pot, stir in, cover, and return to the oven.
Finish the Sauce 30 min before serving
Remove from the oven. Skim excess fat from the surface. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop over medium-low, stirring occasionally to thicken the sauce.
Plate
Cook rice or noodles per package directions. Warm the black beans separately. For maduros, slice ripe plantains on the diagonal and fry in neutral oil over medium heat, 2–3 minutes per side until golden and caramelized. Plate with the stew in the center, rice and beans on the side, plantains alongside — or spoon the stew over pappardelle in the center of the plate.