Chef-tested recipe
Long strands of tender beef in a tomato, pepper, white-wine, olive, and caper sauce
Ropa vieja means “old clothes,” a name inspired by the long shreds of beef that resemble torn cloth. The dish travelled from the Canary Islands and became one of the most recognisable foods of Cuban cooking. Cuban versions simmer flank steak until tender, pull it into fibres, and return it to a sofrito-based sauce with onion, sweet peppers, garlic, tomato, cumin, oregano, wine, olives, and sometimes capers. The patient braise supplies abundant protein without altering the dish’s traditional identity. White rice, black beans, and sweet plantains remain classic companions and are presented separately rather than folded into the stew.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Prep Time
- 30 mins
- Cook Time
- 3 hours
- Resting Time
- 20 mins
- Total Time
- 3 hours 50 mins
- Cuisine
- Cuban
- Course
- Main dishes
- Cooking Method
- Browning, covered braising, shredding, and sofrito reduction
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Best Served With
- Best served with white rice, Cuban black beans, maduros, yuca with garlic mojo, or a simple avocado salad.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Heavy casserolepaid link
- Tongspaid link
- Fine mesh strainerpaid link
- Large traypaid link
- Two forkspaid link
- Wooden spoonpaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Cutting boardpaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
- Measuring jugpaid link
Ingredients
For the beef braise
- Flank steak, cut across the grain into 3 large pieces: 1500 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 15 g
- Freshly ground black pepper: 5 g
- Olive oil: 45 ml Shop paid link
- Yellow onion, quartered: 200 g
- Garlic cloves, crushed: 20 g
- Bay leaves: 3 whole
- Unsalted beef stock: 1000 ml
For the sofrito sauce
- Yellow onion, thinly sliced: 300 g
- Green bell pepper, thinly sliced: 250 g
- Red bell pepper, thinly sliced: 250 g
- Garlic, finely chopped: 25 g
- Tomato paste: 60 g
- Crushed tomatoes: 800 g
- Dry white wine: 180 ml
- Ground cumin: 8 g
- Dried oreganopaid link: 5 g
- Pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced: 160 g
- Capers, rinsed: 35 g
- White wine vinegar: 20 ml
For serving
- Cooked white ricepaid link: 900 g
- Cooked Cuban black beanspaid link: 600 g
- Fresh coriander or parsley, chopped: 20 g
Preparation Overview
Cut the flank steak into just three manageable pieces so its fibres remain long after shredding. Slice both the peppers and onions into narrow strips that echo the beef. Organise the braise and sofrito ingredients separately; the cooking liquid will be strained and reused to build the sauce.
Method
Season the beef. Pat the flank steak dry and season all over with the salt and pepper.
Brown the meat. Heat 30 ml olive oil in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat and sear the beef in batches until browned on both sides.
Build the braise. Return all beef to the pot with the quartered onion, crushed garlic, bay leaves, and stock. Add water only if needed to bring liquid three-quarters up the meat.
Cook until tender. Cover and simmer very gently for 2 to 2½ hours, turning once, until the beef separates easily with a fork.
Cool and shred. Transfer the beef to a tray and rest for 20 minutes. Strain and reserve 500 ml braising liquid, then pull the beef into long fibres along its natural grain.
Cook the sofrito. Heat the remaining 15 ml oil in the clean casserole. Cook the sliced onion and peppers for 10 minutes, then add chopped garlic, tomato paste, cumin, and oregano for 2 minutes.
Reduce the sauce. Pour in the wine and simmer for 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and 400 ml reserved braising liquid, then simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
Finish the ropa vieja. Fold in the shredded beef, olives, capers, and vinegar. Simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, adding reserved liquid only if the sauce becomes dry.
Adjust and serve. Taste for salt, remove the bay leaves, scatter with coriander or parsley, and serve with white rice and black beans.
Beginner Technique Notes
Flank steak should be divided, not cubed. Large pieces create the long shreds that give ropa vieja its name.
A bare simmer tenderises better than a rapid boil, which can tighten the meat and cloud the stock.
Shred along the visible fibres with two forks or clean hands once the beef is cool enough to handle.
Rinse the capers so their brine supports rather than dominates the sauce.
Reduce the wine before adding tomatoes so the finished stew does not taste raw or alcoholic.
Tips and Variations
Skirt steak or well-trimmed chuck can be used as separate practical variations; chuck gives shorter, softer shreds.
Some Cuban households omit capers, while olives remain a familiar source of briny contrast.
Add 100 g jarred pimientos with the olives for a sweeter red-pepper accent.
Make the braised beef one day ahead, chill it in its liquid, then remove solidified fat before finishing the sofrito.
Do not replace the sofrito with bottled barbecue sauce; onion, pepper, garlic, and tomato form the Cuban flavour base.
Serving Ideas
- Mound the long, saucy beef shreds beside white rice and black beans, keeping the three components distinct on the plate. Arrange a few olives and pepper strips on top so the characteristic sauce is immediately visible.
Storage
Cool within 2 hours and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently to 74°C with a splash of reserved stock or water. Freeze the beef and sauce together for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains sulphites if the wine, vinegar, olives, or capers retain them. Check stock and processed olive labels for celery, gluten, and cross-contact declarations. Simmering reduces alcohol but does not guarantee complete removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called ropa vieja?
The Spanish name means old clothes and refers to the dish’s long, rag-like strands of beef.
Which beef cut makes the best shreds?
Flank steak has pronounced fibres that pull into the classic long strands after a slow braise.
Can I use a pressure cooker?
Yes. Cook the braise under high pressure until tender, then build and reduce the sofrito uncovered in the usual way.
Are olives and capers required?
Olives are very common in Cuban versions; capers vary by household and may be omitted.
Does ropa vieja improve overnight?
Yes. The beef absorbs more of the sofrito flavour, making it an excellent make-ahead dish.
