Recipe

Ropa Vieja

Carne deshebrada a la cubana

Thin-sliced beef braised in a tomato and white wine sofrito until it shreds into tender threads, shot through with the briny pop of green olives and capers. Cuba’s national dish, served over white rice with black beans and sweet plantains.

90 min
AdeptAdept
Latin American
Ropa Vieja

This version was made with thin-sliced top round, which cuts the cooking time significantly and still shreds beautifully. The sauce is built on tomato paste and white wine rather than crushed tomatoes, giving it a cleaner, more concentrated finish.

The briny pop of green olives and capers running through every forkful is what makes this dish unmistakably Cuban. Serve it over white rice with black beans and fried sweet plantains alongside, and the plate tells the whole story.

The best ropa vieja is always someone’s grandmother’s. Now it can be yours.Set the table, pour something cold, and let the sofrito do the talking.

Make It Yours

Want More Texture?

Add half a can of crushed tomatoes along with the broth in Stage 3. It gives the sauce more body and a slightly chunkier feel, closer to how some Cuban households prepare it. Using only tomato paste, as in this version, keeps the sauce cleaner and more concentrated.

No White Wine?

Substitute a dry sherry, or a splash of apple cider vinegar diluted in extra broth. The acid is what matters here: it lifts the sauce and balances the richness of the beef.

Bring a Little Heat:

Try a diced jalapeño or a pinch of chili flakes in the sofrito if you want some warmth. It is not traditional, but it works.

Season the Rice:

Add a little seasoning to the rice after cooking and it will take on an unforgettable aroma. Cilantro works beautifully here.

Good To Know

Lean Cut, Faster Cook:

Thin-sliced top round is leaner than flank steak or brisket and cooks faster, but has less fat in the final dish. For more richness, use flank steak and add 45 to 60 minutes of braising time. To test doneness, pull a piece with two forks right in the pot. If it shreds easily with no resistance, it is ready.

Searing Is Not Optional:

It builds the Maillard crust that gives the entire dish its depth. Do not skip it.

Soften the Sofrito Properly:

Cook the sofrito long enough to actually soften the vegetables before adding any liquid. Underdone peppers and onions never fully melt into the sauce and you will notice the texture at the end.

Olives Go In Last:

Adding them too early mutes their brininess and they lose their texture. Those last five minutes are all they need.

Instructions

Five stages, no rush. Sear, build, braise, finish, and plate. Get a good crust on the beef, take your time softening the sofrito, then let the braise do the slow work while you fry the plantains.

Stage 1: Season and Sear the Beef

  • Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt, pepper, and cumin.
  • Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sear the beef slices in batches for 2 minutes per side until well browned. Do not crowd the pan, or the meat will steam instead of forming the fragrant, browned crust you want. Set the seared meat aside.
  • The fond left in the pan after searing is flavour. Do not wipe it out.

Stage 2: Build the Sofrito

  • Reduce the heat to medium. In the same pan, add the sliced onion and both bell peppers. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to caramelise at the edges.
  • Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  • Add the tomato paste, oregano, smoked paprika, and cumin. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, letting the paste darken slightly and coat the vegetables. This step deepens the entire flavour base.
  • Pour in the white wine and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it bubble for 1 to 2 minutes until the alcohol cooks off.

Stage 3: Braise

  • Return the seared beef to the pan. Pour in the beef broth and add the bay leaves. The liquid should come about halfway up the meat.
  • Cover and simmer on low heat for 40 to 50 minutes, until the beef is very tender and shreds easily with two forks. Because thin-sliced top round is used here, this is faster than the classic method. If using flank steak or brisket cut into thick pieces, plan for 1.5 to 2 hours of braising.
  • Remove the beef from the pan and shred it using two forks, pulling along the grain into long, loose threads. Return the shredded meat to the sauce.
Watch the ropa vieja come together

Stage 4: Finish and Serve

  • Stir in the sliced green olives and capers. Simmer uncovered for 5 more minutes to let the flavours come together and the sauce reduce slightly.
  • Remove the bay leaves and taste for salt. The olives and capers carry plenty of brine, so go easy before you add any more.
  • Serve over white rice, with black beans and fried sweet plantains alongside. A small handful of fresh cilantro over the top is a nice finishing touch if you like it.

Stage 5: Accompaniments (Optional)

  • Black Beans: Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and green bell pepper and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and spices and stir for 1 minute. Add the black beans straight from the can with all their liquid, do not drain or rinse. Stir and warm through for 5 to 7 minutes until heated and fragrant. Taste for salt.
  • Sweet Plantains: Peel the plantains and slice on a diagonal, about 1/2 inch thick. The skin must be mostly black or very heavily spotted. Green or lightly yellow plantains are starchy and will not caramelise. Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a pan over medium heat until shimmering and fry the slices in a single layer for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden and caramelised at the edges. Transfer to a paper towel and finish with a pinch of flaky salt. For the air fryer, lightly brush the slices with oil and cook at 375°F (190°C) for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway.
  • White Rice: Cook 2 cups (380g) dry long-grain white rice with 3 cups (720ml) water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it steam, covered, for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Ingredients

For the Beef

  • 1.5 lb (680g) top round, thin-sliced (or flank steak or brisket, cooking time will be longer)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil

Sofrito and Sauce

  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small can (6 oz / 170g) tomato paste
  • 4 fl oz (120ml) dry white wine
  • 8 fl oz (240ml) beef broth
  • 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 oz (85g) green olives, sliced
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • Salt to taste

Accompaniments

Optional, the full Cuban plate

  • 1 can black beans
  • 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 ripe plantains (skin mostly black or heavily spotted, not green)
  • White rice, 2 cups dry for 3 to 4 servings

Nutritional Value

Per serving (approx. 250g, beef only, based on 4 servings). Served without rice, beans, or plantains:

Calories: ~370 kcal

Total Fat: 18g

Carbohydrates: 10g

Protein: 38g

Note: Nutritional values are approximate and may vary based on specific ingredients and portion sizes.

Pantry Notes

Ropa vieja is the national dish of Cuba, though versions of it exist across the Spanish-speaking Caribbean and in the Canary Islands, where the recipe likely originated before travelling west with Spanish colonizers. The name has always been the same: old clothes. The story goes that a man too poor to feed his family shredded his own clothing and cooked it with so much love and spice that it became a meal. Cuba took the metaphor and made it a feast.

Sofrito is the soul of Cuban cooking. It is a base of onion, peppers, garlic, tomato, and aromatics cooked down slowly until everything becomes one thing. The word comes from the Spanish sofreír, to lightly fry. In Cuban kitchens it shows up in almost every savoury dish, from black beans to picadillo to this one. Learn the sofrito and you understand an entire cuisine.

The classic Cuban plate that surrounds ropa vieja has its own shape: white rice, black beans, and tostones or maduros, fried plantains. Each element plays a role. The rice absorbs the sauce, the beans add earthiness, and the plantains bring a sweetness that cuts through the salty brine of the olives. It is not a garnish. It is the whole picture.

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