Cuban Ropa Vieja (Pressure Cooker recipe)

Ropa Vieja is the national dish of Cuba. This shredded beef with vegetables stew is so popular that it is served at every Cuban restaurant. The name itself in Spanish translates to "old clothes" and the story is about a poor man who shredded his old clothes & cooked it in order to feed his family. This dish resembles the colorful old rags and is usually slow cooked for 10 hours. Here we have cut the time in half using our Power XL Pressure cooker.

Recipe adapted from Lemon Blossoms Chef Kathy's "Cuban Ropa Vieja- slow cooker"

Ingredients

Total Cook time: 5 hrs

Servings: 6

• 3 lbs Flank steak

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• Salt & black pepper to taste

• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced

• 3 bell peppers (green, red, yellow), seeded & thinly sliced

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 rib of celery, halved crosswise

• 1 carrot, cut in half

• 1 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped

• 1 1/4 cup chicken broth

• 14 oz can crushed tomatoes

• 1 Tbsp tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 2 bay leaves

• 1/2 cup white wine, optional

• 1 cup Manzanilla Spanish olives stuffed with pimientos, sliced into thirds

Instructions

1. Make the sauce: Combine chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, allspice, paprika, oregano, and bay leaves in a bowl. Set aside.

2. Cut flank steak into 3 pieces big enough to fit in your pressure cooker. Season meat with salt and black pepper.

3. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat. Sear flank steak on both sides for about 5 mins or until nicely browned. Transfer to a plate.

4. Heat 1 Tbsp olive to the skillet on medium-low heat then sauté for garlic, onions, & bell peppers until soft.

5. In a pressure cooker, place in the following order: Carrots & celery on the bottom. 1/2 of the vegetables on top, seared flank steak (try not to overlap), then the remainder of the vegetables on top.

6. Pour sauce mixture into the pressure cooker. Place the lid and close the valve. Press the "stew" setting and cook for 4 1/2 hours on high. When done, release pressure by opening the valve before opening the lid. Remove beef and shred it into strings by pulling it apart with 2 forks. It should be tender enough to shred easily.

7. Remove celery, carrots, and bay leaves from the cooker. Place the shredded beef back into the pressure cooker along with the olives and cilantro. Mix well. Cook for another 30 minutes on low.

Notes:

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