This ropa vieja recipe has been a true work of love. My sister and I searched and searched for the best ropa vieja recipe to make but never quite found one that had it all. We finally found the perfect balance of flavors with ingredients such as red wine, simple tomato paste, a good beef broth, and the perfect blend of seasonings and veggies.
I hope you love it and lose the fear of making traditional recipes such as this one seems like a huge undertaking. We have done the work for you and so does the InstaPot.
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds flank steak
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 large white onions
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
- ¼ cup dry red wine
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 6 oz tomato sauce
- ½ cup beef broth
- 3 bay leaves
Directions:
- Pat dry the flank steak. Season with the salt, black pepper, cumin and garlic powder.
- If using an Insta Pot, power on in “sauté” mode. Add the extra virgin olive oil and sear the steak for 4-5 minutes on each side until just golden. Remove the meat and set aside on a plate. Turn off the Insta Pot.
- Slice the onions and peppers into strips. Mince the garlic.
- Add the veggies with the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Put the beef back into the pot. Cook on high for 1:00 hour.
- Let the pot begin releasing the heat for 10 minutes before opening the vent valve.
- Shred the meat with a fork and sauté for a few minutes to thicken the sauce a bit.
- Serve over rice.
*** If you are using a braiser, turn the oven on at 300 degrees and cook for about 3 hours or until the beef is completely tender.
Variation ideas:
- Use the leftover Ropa Vieja to make:
- Empanadas
- Tacos
- Nachos
- “Pastelon”
- Brunch hash with a fried egg