Crock Pot Ropa Vieja (Beef, Peppers, and Onions)
Ropa Vieja is one of those dishes that keeps on giving. It is supposed to be shredded beef. But when I serve it, it's more like a stew, with chunks of meat. Then when it's cool, I get in there and shred the meat with my hands. It takes only about two minutes and is so much easier than using forks. Then I serve it over spaghetti squash, or, for yet another option, serve in low-carb tortillas with avocado and cilantro. We loved this recipe. I always order this when we visit a local latin restaurant. I actually thought this was tastier. I didnt have celery so I added a little celery seed. I love bay leaves, so I added about 5-6. I also added about 1/4 cup red wine. The color and texture was excellent. I will make this over and over. I love crockpot dishes. Thanks for sharing.
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Ropa Vieja is one of those dishes that keeps on giving. It is supposed to be shredded beef. But when I serve it, it's more like a stew, with chunks of meat. Then when it's cool, I get in there and shred the meat with my hands. It takes only about two minutes and is so much easier than using forks. Then I serve it over spaghetti squash, or, for yet another option, serve in low-carb tortillas with avocado and cilantro. We loved this recipe. I always order this when we visit a local latin restaurant. I actually thought this was tastier. I didnt have celery so I added a little celery seed. I love bay leaves, so I added about 5-6. I also added about 1/4 cup red wine. The color and texture was excellent. I will make this over and over. I love crockpot dishes. Thanks for sharing.
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 2 each bay leaves
- to taste salt & pepper
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 3 pounds chuck roast cut into pieces about 2-3-inches on a side
- 1 small red or yellow onion chopped
- 2 medium green bell peppers chopped
- 2 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 1 15 oz can chopped tomatoes
- 3 each beef bouillon cube
- Carbohydrate 11.7835325009524 g
- Cholesterol 112.439611575 mg
- Fat 31.324898047561 g
- Fiber 2.78484997008973 g
- Protein 34.9707547818455 g
- Saturated Fat 12.4882511949781 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (317g)
- Sodium 172.974476044949 mg
- Sugar 8.99868253086265 g
- Trans Fat 4.20356365373902 g
- Calories 473 calories
Step-by-step
- Salt and pepper the meat, and brown it (can chop veggies while meat is browning).
- Layer onion and celery on bottom of crock pot (slow cooker).
- Put meat on top.
- Drain the tomatoes and save juice. Layer tomatoes and peppers over the meat, along with the bay leaves.
- Mix the rest of the ingredients together (including the reserved tomato liquid) and pour over the rest of the food. Cook 2 to 3 hours on high, or 5 to 7 hours on low.
Managing the Long Braise
Low heat settings ranging from five to seven hours yield tender muscle fibers that pull apart effortlessly without drying out. High settings cut that window down to two or three hours for tighter schedules. Draining canned tomatoes and reserving the liquid allows precise control over sauce viscosity. Whisking tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, and beef bouillon directly into that reserved tomato juice prevents clumping before pouring the mixture over the layers.Transforming Second-Day Leftovers
Refrigeration solidifies rendered fats overnight, making them simple to skim off the top of the storage container before reheating. Cold beef absorbs released aromatics and deepens in salinity over twenty-four hours. Transforming chilled portions involves shredding the meat by hand rather than using forks, yielding natural strands that soak up pan juices efficiently. Serving chilled portions over roasted spaghetti squash or tucking warm shreds into low-carb tortillas offers entirely different textural contrasts on day two.
