SLOWER COOKER ROPA VIEJA RECIPE
Ropa Vieja is a Cuban dish of meat, peppers, and onions. Literally translated it means “old clothes,” a reference to the colorful pieces of red and yellow peppers and tomatoes in the dish. Garnish with additional fresh oregano leaves, if desired.
Hands-on: 10 minutes Total: 8 hours, 10 minutes Serves 8
Excerpted with permission from Everyday Slow Cooker: 130 Modern Recipes, with 40 Gluten-Free Dishes and 50 Multicooker Variations.
1 medium-sized red bell pepper (about 51⁄8 ounces) roughly chopped 1 medium-sized yellow onion (about 8 ounces) roughly chopped 4 medium-sized plum tomatoes (about 1 pound, 3 ounces) roughly chopped 2 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1⁄2 cup unsalted beef stock 2 tablespoons no-salt-added ketchup 2 pounds flank steak, trimmed and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper 1-3⁄4 teaspoons kosher salt 1⁄3 cup roughly chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives (about 3 ounces) 2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed 2 (8.8-ounce) packages precooked microwavable brown rice (such as Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice)
Step 1
Place the bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and cumin in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped, 5 to 6 times. Transfer the bell pepper mixture to a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker; stir in the beef stock and ketchup. Place the steak, oil, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a medium bowl, and toss to coat. Submerge the steak in the bell pepper mixture in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW until the meat is very tender, about 8 hours.
Step 2
Transfer the steak to a large bowl, reserving the sauce in the slow cooker. Shred the steak pieces with 2 forks. Toss the shredded steak with 1 cup of the reserved sauce in the bowl, and stir in the chopped green olives.
Step 3
Stir together the beans and 1⁄4 teaspoon of the salt in a medium saucepan, and cook over medium until heated through, about 5 minutes. Keep warm. Prepare the rice according to the package directions, and season with the remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt. Serve the shredded steak mixture with the rice, beans, and remaining reserved sauce from the slow cooker.
Step 4
Serving Size: 1⁄2 cup steak, about 1⁄4 cup beans, about 1⁄4 cup rice, about 1 cup sauce): CALORIES 400; FAT 13g (sat 3g, unsat 7g); PROTEIN 33g; CARB 38g; FIBER 7g; SUGARS 3g (added sugars 0g); SODIUM 700mg; CALC 9% DV; POTASSIUM 23% DV
Step 5
NOTE: Multi-cooker Directions
In Step 1, transfer the finely chopped bell pepper mixture to the inner pot of a 6-quart multi-cooker; stir in the beef stock and ketchup. Place the steak, oil, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Submerge the steak in the bell pepper mixture in the pot. Lock the lid; turn Pressure Valve to “Venting.” Cook on SLOW COOK [Normal] until the meat is very tender, about 8 hours. Turn off the cooker. Press KEEP WARM. In Step 2, transfer the steak to a large bowl, reserving the sauce in the pot. Shred the steak with 2 forks. Add 1 cup of the reserved sauce to the shredded steak, reserving the remaining sauce in the pot; toss well and stir in the chopped green olives. Complete Step 3.
Excerpted with permission from Everyday Slow Cooker: 130 Modern Recipes, with 40 Gluten-Free Dishes and 50 Multicooker Variations.
