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Overview

Ropa Vieja

Cuban Shredded Beef in Tomato Sauce

This ropa vieja recipe braises flank steak low and slow until it falls into long shreds, then simmers it in a tomato, pepper and olive sauce. One serving is about 310 g. Serve it over white rice with black beans and fried plantains, the way Cuban families do.

Ropa vieja, Spanish for “old clothes”, began as a Sephardic Jewish slow-cooked Sabbath stew in Spain and travelled with Canary Islanders to Cuba, where it was first reported cooked in 1857. The name comes from the shredded beef, which looks like a pile of colourful rags, and the dish is now widely regarded as Cuba’s national dish.

Pairs well with: White rice, black beans and fried plantains

Provenance

Cuba flag Cuba

Cuba's National Dish

Latin America & Caribbean

Time Dedication

3h

20m prep • 160m cook

Batch Yield

6 Servings

385 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 310 g

Technical Skill

Intermediate

Medium (Slow Braise)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Hearty Midday Main

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

High Protein Occasions: Sunday family dinner, feeding a crowd, make-ahead freezer meals Cost: Medium — about $5–6 per serving at home
Tags: Beef Savory Rich Gluten-free High-protein Braised
A plate of ropa vieja, shredded beef in tomato sauce, with yellow rice, black beans and fried plantains

Cuba's National Dish

Photo: Marc Averette, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Medium — about $5–6 per serving at home (USD)

A good ropa vieja is judged by the shred: long, separate strands of beef coated in sauce, never mushy or cut into cubes.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 3h
P

Prep Stage: Slice Everything Before the Pot Gets Hot

20 Mins • Slice + Season

Slice the onion and both peppers into strips, mince the garlic, and season the flank steak with salt and pepper. Open the tomatoes, measure the broth, wine and tomato paste, and set the olives, capers and spices by the stove. Once the beef is searing you will not have a free hand, so a tidy station now saves the sauce later.

Maestro Tip: Cut the peppers and onion into similar-sized strips so they soften at the same pace in the sauce.

  1. 1

    Sear the Beef

    10 Mins Medium-high heat, ~190°C (375°F)

    Heat half the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sear the flank steak for about 4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Do not move it while it sears. Lift the meat out and set it on a plate.

    A dry surface browns; a wet one steams. Pat the steak dry before it hits the pot.

    Done when: Both sides are dark golden brown with a crisp crust.

  2. 2

    Build the Sofrito

    10 Mins Medium heat, ~160°C (320°F)

    Add the remaining oil to the same pot. Cook the onion and both peppers for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook 1 minute more. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute until it darkens, then pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.

    Scraping up those browned bits is where most of the flavour lives — do not skip it.

    Done when: The vegetables are soft and the tomato paste has turned a darker brick red.

  3. 3

    Braise Low and Slow

    120 Mins Low simmer, ~95°C (203°F)

    Return the beef to the pot with any juices from the plate. Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth and sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover with the lid slightly ajar and cook on low for about 2 hours, turning the meat once halfway, until it is completely tender.

    Keep it at the barest simmer — a rolling boil tightens the meat instead of loosening it.

    Done when: A fork slides into the thickest part with almost no resistance.

  4. 4

    Shred the Beef

    10 Mins Off the heat

    Lift the beef onto a board and let it rest 5 minutes. Pull it apart along the grain with two forks into long thin shreds, about 5 cm long. The strands should look like tattered cloth — that is where the name comes from.

    Shred along the grain, not across it, or you get crumbs instead of ribbons.

    Done when: The meat pulls into long shreds with no knife work needed.

  5. 5

    Finish the Sauce

    10 Mins Medium heat, ~160°C (320°F)

    Return the shredded beef to the sauce with the sliced olives and capers. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes so the sauce thickens and clings to the meat. Taste and adjust the salt — remember the olives and capers are already salty. Serve hot over white rice.

    The finished dish should be saucy, not soupy: the sauce coats the shreds rather than pooling around them.

    Done when: The beef is glossy, the sauce coats a spoon, and the meat is steaming hot through, above 74°C (165°F).

Finishing Touches & Plating

Rest the finished ropa vieja for 5 minutes off the heat so the shreds drink up the sauce, then serve over white rice with black beans and fried plantains on the side.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

385

kcal / serving

Protein

37g

Complete AA

Carbs

15g

Complex

Fats

19g

Healthy

Per serving (6 servings · 1 serving ≈ 310 g)
Energy385 kcal
Protein37 g
Carbohydrates15 g
Fat19 g
Fibre3.6 g
Sugar7.5 g
Sodium625 mg
Per 100g
Energy124 kcal
Protein11.9 g
Carbohydrates4.8 g
Fat6.2 g
Fibre1.1 g
Sugar2.4 g
Sodium202 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin C (bell peppers, tomatoes), vitamin B12 and iron (beef), vitamin B6 (garlic, peppers), potassium (tomatoes, beef).

Serious Protein

About 37 g of protein per serving from the flank steak — a plate that keeps you full for hours.

Peppers, Onion and Tomato

Two whole bell peppers, an onion and tomatoes bring vitamin C, fibre and plant variety to a meat stew.

Slow Cooking, Simple Ingredients

Time does the work here: a long gentle braise turns a modest cut of beef tender with no special equipment.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Sides

White Rice

Plain white rice soaks up the tomato sauce and balances the salty olives — the classic Cuban plate.

Black Beans

A spoonful of black beans adds earthiness and fibre, and turns the plate into a full Cuban meal.

Vegetables

Fried Plantains (Maduros)

Sweet caramelised plantains sit against the salty, tangy beef and make each bite rounder.

Full Menus

With Moros y Cristianos

Serve the ropa vieja beside black beans cooked with rice and a simple salad for a complete Cuban dinner.

Complete menu

Serve the ropa vieja over white rice with black beans and fried plantains, plus a simple tomato and avocado salad, and finish with strong Cuban coffee.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Extra Salt on Top

The olives, capers and broth already carry a lot of sodium, so adding more salt at the table can push a serving well past a comfortable level. Taste first. This is general information, not medical advice.

Heavy Cream Sauces on the Side

A rich creamy sauce dulls the bright tomato and pepper flavours that define this dish and adds a large amount of saturated fat for little benefit. Keep the sides simple. This is general information, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA hearty, protein-rich dinner that suits most adults; watch the portion of rice if you are watching carbohydrates.
  • ChildrenMild and not spicy, so children usually enjoy it; shred the beef finely and go light on the olives, which are very salty.
  • ElderlySoft shredded beef is easy to chew; serve a smaller portion with well-cooked rice and check the salt if sodium is a concern.
  • Pregnant womenBeef and tomato sauce are fine in pregnancy when the meat is cooked right through; keep the wine in the sauce only, as the alcohol cooks off during the long braise, and ask your clinician about alcohol in cooking if unsure.
  • Breastfeeding womenA nourishing, iron-rich meal; the long cooking time means the beef is tender and easy to digest.
  • AthletesAbout 37 g of protein per serving supports recovery after training; pair with a generous portion of rice for energy.
  • Weight gainEnergy-dense with rice and plantains, so it works well for anyone trying to gain weight in a balanced way.
  • Weight lossKeep the rice and plantains to modest portions and load the plate with the beef and peppers; the protein helps you stay full.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesAbout 15 g of carbohydrate per serving from the sauce itself, so it fits a carb-aware plate; the rice and plantains are where the carbs add up, so measure those portions and ask your clinician.
  • High blood pressureOne serving carries about 625 mg of sodium from the olives, capers and broth, so keep added salt out and choose low-sodium sides; ask your clinician about your sodium target.
  • Kidney diseaseBeef is rich in protein and potassium; people with kidney disease often need to limit both, so check your portion with your clinician.
  • GoutBeef and tomato-based sauces are rich in purines, which can raise uric acid; enjoy smaller portions and less often if gout is a concern, and ask your clinician.
  • Stomach issuesThe sauce is tomato-based and mildly acidic, which can bother reflux; a smaller portion with plain rice is usually gentler, and ask your clinician if symptoms persist.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseLean flank steak with peppers, onion and tomato is a reasonable choice; the saturated fat is moderate, so keep portions sensible and ask your clinician.
  • Fatty liverThe dish itself is low in sugar and the beef is lean, but the fried plantains add fat and sugar, so keep those to a small side and ask your clinician.
  • Food allergiesContains beef; the sauce itself is free of gluten, egg, milk and nuts, but check the broth and canned tomatoes for hidden allergens. Ask your clinician if you have a food allergy.
  • Special therapeutic dietsFits a high-protein or gluten-free plan as written; for low-sodium or renal diets, reduce the olives, capers and added salt and ask your clinician or dietitian.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Cool within 2 hours, then store in an airtight container.
In the fridge
3 to 4 days at 0–4°C (32–39°F).
In the freezer
Up to 3 months in portioned containers.
How to reheat
Reheat on the stove over medium heat, or in the microwave, until steaming hot all the way through, at least 74°C (165°F); add a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened.
Freezing recommended
Yes — it freezes very well and the flavour improves after a day in the fridge.
Signs it has spoiled
Sour or off smell, slimy texture, or any mould on the surface — discard if any of these appear.

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