Cole Cooks: Instant Pot Ropa Vieja
Ropa Vieja is a classic Cuban dish. This shredded beef dish is perfect for cooking in an Instant Pot.
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As always it is fun to understand the origin of a dish. Ropa Vieja is often called the national dish of Cuba. However, it got its origins in Span.
In Spanish, ropa vieja means old clothes. The legend is that around 500 years ago a poor man in Spain was reduced to cooking his clothes to feed his family. While his clothes were cooking he prayed and the clothes became the meat stew we know as ropa vieja.
Apparently ropa vieja came to Cuba from the Canary Islands. It came to Cuba from Spanish colonists coming from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean. Versions of ropa vieja are popular in not only other Caribbean Islands but also the Philippines which was a Spanish colony.
For more reading I suggest articles from Mitu, The Culture Trip and the UK based Cuban restaurant chain Revolucion de Cuba.
There are many different recipes for Cuban Ropa Vieja. I have developed my own recipe that works great in the Instant Pot.
My first break from tradition comes with my choice of meat. It appears that traditionally Ropa Vieja uses flank steak. I use chuck roast because it is both less expensive and comes out better in the Instant Pot. Every month we get a beautiful 36-ounce grass-fed chuck roast delivered from Butcher Box.
Different recipes add all kinds of extra vegetables and spices to Ropa Vieja. Our family is not a fan of popular Caribbean spices like cinnamon or allspice so those were out. Other ingredients like raisins, chickpeas, potatoes and carrots were also out.
Our kids also do not like olives or capers. Personally, I think those ingredients are crucial to adding flavor. MY solution is to blend the capers so they are not visible. For the olives I slice them large enough that the kids can pick them out. I use green olives stuffed with pimentos which is how I have seen the dish served.
My biggest change, which is optional and easy to omit, is to add spice. Unlike Jamaican cuisine, Cuban food is generally not spicy. I added habanero peppers, which are similar to Jamaican scotch bonnet peppers.
This spicy addition was inspired by the Embargo Grill restaurant, near the airport in San Diego. At the Embargo Grill you can customize the Ropa Viejas by picking your own sauce, including spicy Jamaican Jerk.
I am a big fan of soaking habanero peppers in vodka to reduce the heat. For Ropa Vieja I soaked them in vodka for an hour and a half. Five habanero peppers added a nice spice that was not overwhelming. Of course, spice lovers should omit these peppers entirely.
When the meat comes out from the Instant Pot it will shred very easily. A chuck roast will not shred into the long, rope-like strands of flank steak. However, it will be more flavorful and tender. The only reason flank steak was used is because it was cheaper than chuck. The opposite is now true.
Cuban Ropa Vieja is usually served with black beans and rice. I have developed my own Instant Pot version of Cuban black beans which I cook ahead of time.
The entire process of cooking Ropa Vieja in the Instant Pot takes less than 2 hours. That is pretty amazing to get such a rich and flavorful beef dish. Without the Instant Pot this would need to be simmered for 4 or 5 hours.
Instant Pot Ropa Vieja
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chuck roast cut in thirds
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 2 red, orange or yellow bell peppers thinly sliced
- 7 cloves garlic minced
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 bay leave
- 2 tablespoon capers
- ½ cup sliced green olives
- 2 habanero peppers seeded and sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté and add oil. Season beef with salt and pepper. Brown beef on all sides. Remove beef and set aside
- Add onions and peppers and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Add remaining ingredients including beef.
- Set Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes let Instant Pot natural release for 20 minutes.
- Remove beef and shred. Return shredded beef to pot. Serve with rice and beans.
For more info on the Instant Pot check out our Top 10 Instant Pot Tips and our Top 10 Instant Pot Recipes
