Cubancuban beef lunch freeze-ready braise dairy-free

Cuban Ropa Vieja

Name: Cuban Ropa Vieja
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 6 servings — eat 4, freeze 2
Cuisine: Cuban
Ingredients: 1.4 kg beef flank steak (or skirt steak), cut into 3 large pieces; 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 large yellow onions, sliced thin; 2 red bell peppers, sliced thin; 2 green bell peppers, sliced thin; 10 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 can (796 ml) crushed tomatoes; 240 ml dry white wine; 480 ml low-sodium beef broth; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 2 bay leaves; 1 tsp red wine vinegar (added at end); 1.2 kg cauliflower florets (or 2 bags Costco frozen riced cauliflower); 3 tbsp olive oil; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp salt; 30 g fresh cilantro, chopped; Juice of 1 lime; 600 g mini sweet peppers (or 4 regular green peppers, sliced); 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tbsp lime juice

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4.8 · (50 ratings)

restaurant6 servings — eat 4, freeze 2

schedulePrep 30 min

bolt470 kcal

Yield6 servings — eat 4, freeze 2

Calories470 kcal

Prep Time30 min

Cost/Serving

~$5.33 CAD per serving (estimate)

Ingredients

1.4 kgbeef flank steak (or skirt steak), cut into 3 large pieces (beef & braise)
2 tspsalt (beef & braise)
1 tspblack pepper (beef & braise)
3 tbspolive oil (beef & braise)
2large yellow onions, sliced thin (beef & braise)
2red bell peppers, sliced thin (beef & braise)
2green bell peppers, sliced thin (beef & braise)
10garlic cloves, minced (beef & braise)
2 tbsptomato paste (beef & braise)
1 can (796 ml)crushed tomatoes (beef & braise)
240 mldry white wine (beef & braise)
480 mllow-sodium beef broth (beef & braise)
2 tspground cumin (beef & braise)
2 tspdried oregano (beef & braise)
1 tspsmoked paprika (beef & braise)
2bay leaves (beef & braise)
1 tspred wine vinegar (added at end) (beef & braise)
1.2 kgcauliflower florets (or 2 bags Costco frozen riced cauliflower) (cilantro cauliflower rice)
3 tbspolive oil (cilantro cauliflower rice)
4garlic cloves, minced (cilantro cauliflower rice)
1 tspsalt (cilantro cauliflower rice)
30 gfresh cilantro, chopped (cilantro cauliflower rice)
Juice of 1 lime (cilantro cauliflower rice)
600 gmini sweet peppers (or 4 regular green peppers, sliced) (charred green peppers)
3 tbspolive oil (charred green peppers)
1 tspsalt (charred green peppers)
1 tspsmoked paprika (charred green peppers)
1 tbsplime juice (charred green peppers)

Nutrition / serving

Calories470 kcal
Protein46 g
Carbs20 g
Fat22 g
Fiber6 g

Cost Estimate

~$5.33 CAD per serving (estimate)

Last updated: September 2026

Cuba's national dish: beef flank braised low and slow with peppers, onions, and white wine until it shreds into tender, saucy strands — served over cilantro cauliflower rice.

Instructions

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Sear the beef

Season flank pieces with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Sear beef 3 min per side until deeply browned. Remove to plate.

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Soften the vegetables

Lower heat to medium. Add remaining oil, onions, and bell peppers. Cook 8 min until softened and starting to caramelize. Add garlic, cook 1 min.

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Build the braise

Stir in tomato paste, cook 2 min. Add crushed tomatoes, wine, broth, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and bay leaves. Stir well.

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Pressure cook

Return the beef and its juices to the pot. Lock the lid and cook 45 min at high pressure, then let the pressure drop naturally for 15 min. Nothing to do while it runs. Oven alternative: cover and braise at 160°C (325°F) for 2 hours.

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Shred

Remove beef, shred with two forks, return to pot. Simmer uncovered to reduce if needed. Stir in red wine vinegar off heat.

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Cauliflower rice

Cauliflower rice: pulse cauliflower to rice texture (or use frozen). Sauté garlic in olive oil 1 min, add cauliflower and salt, cook 5–6 min. Finish with cilantro and lime.

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Char the peppers

Peppers: toss with oil, salt, paprika. Char in hot skillet or air fryer (200°C, 8 min) until blistered. Finish with lime.

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Freeze & Reheat

Portion 2 servings (beef + cauliflower rice) into airtight containers. Cool fully. Freeze up to 3 months — Ropa Vieja improves with time. Reheat in microwave at 70% 4–5 min, or gently on stovetop with a splash of broth. Char fresh peppers on reheat day if possible.

Pressure cooker method

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Total, start to finish

About 1 hr 30 min, of which roughly 30 min is active. An electric pressure cooker with a sauté function does the whole dish in one pot.

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Sear and soften

On Sauté (high), sear the seasoned flank 3 min per side in 2 tbsp olive oil and lift it out. Add the remaining oil, onions and peppers, cook 8 min, then the garlic for 1 min.

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Build the braise

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 min, then the crushed tomatoes, wine, broth, cumin, oregano, paprika and bay leaves. Scrape the base clean so nothing catches and triggers a burn warning.

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Pressure cook and shred

Return the beef, lock the lid, and cook 45 min at high pressure. Let the pressure fall naturally for 15 min, then release the rest. Shred with two forks, return to the pot, and reduce on Sauté if the sauce is loose. Stir in the vinegar off the heat.

Chef's Cool Facts

Old clothes

"Ropa vieja" means "old clothes" — the shredded beef is said to resemble a pile of colorful rags.

National dish of Cuba

It's the national dish of Cuba, with roots in Sephardic Spain via the Canary Islands.

Shredding along the grain

Shredding along the grain after a long braise gives the signature ragged strands; flank and skirt separate cleanly.