A National Dish Named "Old Clothes"
There is a dish that belongs on every Cuban table. Its name is ropa vieja, Spanish for "old clothes" or "rags." The name is said to come from the look of beef that has been simmered slowly and then torn into thin strands, like tattered scraps of cloth.
The name is hard to square with the dish, but one bite explains it. Beef so tender it falls apart, torn along the grain, clings to a sweet-and-sour sauce of tomato and peppers, and the scent of cumin and oregano rises through the nose. This is no pile of rags; it is a masterpiece of the slow-cooked dishes of South and Central American cooking (in Japanese).
In Spanish, ropa is clothing and vieja is old. Flank steak is simmered for a long time, pulled apart by hand, and seasoned with tomato, peppers, olives, and cumin. The dish is said to have come to Cuba by way of Spain and the Canary Islands, where it blended with local ingredients into its present form.
This guide explains how to make ropa vieja at home, from building the sofrito to shredding the meat. It sits alongside Brazilian feijoada and Colombia's bandeja paisa (in Japanese) among Latin America's great stews.
Ingredients (serves 6)
Tips
How the ropa vieja turns out depends on the quality of the simmer. Boiling hard in rolling water makes the meat dry. A gentle bubbling, where the surface only just ripples, is the ideal heat. In a pressure cooker it takes 40 minutes, and in a slow cooker the Low setting for 8 hours is best.
Ordinary paprika and smoked paprika (pimentón) give very different results. Spanish pimentón de la Vera has a distinctive smoky flavor from smoking over oak, and gives depth to ropa vieja. The "dulce" (sweet) type is best for it. As the dried chiles do in Mexican mole poblano, smoked paprika is the hidden star of ropa vieja.
Spanish Manzanilla green olives are the standard in Cuban cooking. Ordinary pitted green olives from the supermarket are fine. Olives stuffed with pimiento (red pepper) make the dish more colorful. Black olives have a different flavor, so stick with green.
As with all stews, ropa vieja tastes noticeably better the next day, once the flavors have settled in. Making a big batch on the weekend and reheating it for weeknight dinners is a classic pattern in Cuban households. It keeps for 4 days in the refrigerator and 1 month in the freezer.
Variations
Slow-cooker version (8 hours)
The easiest version. Put raw beef straight into the slow cooker with the canned tomatoes, spices, peppers, onion, and garlic. Just leave it on Low for 8 hours. Set it in the morning and it is ready when you get home in the evening. The meat can be shredded right in the pot. Skipping the sofrito step makes it a little less rich, but it is ideal for weeknight make-ahead.
Pressure-cooker version (1 hour)
Shorten the pre-simmer to 40 minutes in a pressure cooker, and finish the stew under pressure in 15 minutes. In total you can make an authentic ropa vieja in 1 hour. It is a speed version for busy days.
Chicken breast version (ropa vieja de pollo)
A variation that came about when beef was expensive. Boil and shred 600 g chicken breast, then simmer it in the same sofrito and tomato sauce. The pre-simmer takes only 30 minutes, so it is faster. Chicken does not give as deep a savoriness as beef, but the lighter result is preferred in summer.
Pork version
Some versions use pork shoulder. Simmer 800 g pork shoulder for 2 hours, shred it by hand, then simmer it in the sauce. The sweet fat of pork and the acidity of the tomato make a different appeal from the beef version. Eating it with Puerto Rican mofongo (in Japanese) is another way to enjoy Latin America.
Vegetarian version (jackfruit)
A version popular at vegan Cuban restaurants is made with jackfruit (canned young jackfruit). When pulled apart with a fork, the flesh takes on a surprisingly meat-like texture. The spices and sauce are mixed in exactly the same proportions, so it is also recommended for people who eat plant-based.
Background of the Dish
From Spain to the Caribbean
Ropa vieja is commonly said to come from Spain, and from the Canary Islands in particular. The dish carried by migrants from the Canary Islands is said to have blended with Cuban ingredients and taken its current form.
The Spanish original is usually described as a way of reusing leftover meat from a stew such as cocido: tear the beef boiled the day before and reheat it with tomato and onion, a kind of staff meal. Meeting New World tomatoes and peppers, along with cumin, changed it from the Spanish original. The Cuban version combines the acidity of tomato, the warm aroma of cumin, and the saltiness of olives into a far more assertive dish.
Cuban food culture grew from a blend of Spanish, African, and indigenous Taíno influences. In ropa vieja, the way the beef is cooked comes from Spain, and tomato and pepper come from the Americas. A single plate holds a good deal of Cuba's history.
The Cuban diaspora and the taste of home
Since the 1960s, many Cubans have settled in places like Miami, Florida, and ropa vieja has become a dish closely tied to the memory of home. In restaurants in Miami's Little Havana, it is a staple of Cuban menus. The Miami version is often described as a bit more refined than Havana's, with better beef, though the basic recipe is much the same. Just as Armenian harissa links diaspora memory, ropa vieja is a core dish of Cuban identity.
The story behind "old clothes"
There are several legends about the origin of the name. The best known is the tale of a poor man who, to feed his family a meat dish, stewed his old clothes (ropa vieja), and through the power of love the clothes turned into meat.
The story is told in children's picture books, and in Cuban homes the lesson is that "if you think of your family as you make ropa vieja, even the cheapest meat becomes the best meal." The message that love and ingenuity, not material wealth, make food delicious carries more meaning than a folk tale for people who have lived through shortages.
Ropa vieja around the world
The Cuban version is the most famous, but ropa vieja-style dishes are eaten across much of Latin America and in the Canary Islands.
The Canary Islands version is said to be closer to the original, with chickpeas and a plainer flavor. The Panamanian version is similar to the Cuban one. In Venezuela, a shredded beef dish (carne mechada) is part of the pabellón criollo, served with black beans, rice, and fried plantain. In Puerto Rico the meat is commonly seasoned with an adobo mix first.
Each country of the Caribbean has its own beef stew. Just as Jamaican jerk chicken is known for the complexity of its spices, each country's history and culture shows in the stewpot. If you travel the Caribbean, you will meet ropa vieja, pabellón criollo, and sancocho.
Plantains and congrí: ropa vieja's companions
In Cuba, ropa vieja is rarely eaten alone. It always comes with congrí (rice cooked with black beans) and maduros (fried ripe sweet plantains).
Congrí is rice cooked in the liquid from black beans, which gives it a faintly purplish color and the flavor of the beans. Maduros are fully ripe plantains fried crisp in butter, and the contrast of sweetness and salt fits the acidity of the ropa vieja perfectly.
Plantains are hard to find in some places, so ripe bananas fried in butter can stand in. They are sweet enough, and the balance against the acidity of the tomato can be reproduced. For a simple congrí, cook canned black beans in a rice cooker together with the white rice.
Ropa vieja in Cuba today
Private restaurants called paladares have multiplied in Havana and Trinidad. The chefs there continue to put modern interpretations on the traditional dish.
Nutrition (per serving, one of six)
Ropa vieja gives you 38 g of high-quality protein from beef, with the lycopene of tomato, the vitamin C of peppers, and the unsaturated fat of olives. The black beans on the side add fiber and iron, making this a complete meal on one plate.
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 420 kcal |
| Protein | 38 g |
| Fat | 18 g |
| Carbohydrates | 28 g |
| Fiber | 5 g |
| Sodium | 680 mg |
The lycopene in tomatoes is absorbed better when eaten with fat, so ropa vieja cooked in olive oil suits it well.
More to Cook Alongside
- Chimichurri: uses the same regional ingredients and aromas.
- Empanadas: uses the same regional ingredients and aromas.
- Seco de chabelo (in Japanese): uses the same regional ingredients and aromas.
FAQ
Questions that come up often from people making ropa vieja for the first time, from choosing the meat to storage.
Q1. What is the best cut if I cannot get flank steak?
The closest substitute is beef shank. It is rich in collagen and falls apart when simmered for a long time, though the simmering time must be 2 hours or more. Next best is chuck roast, which has a moderate amount of fat and stays juicy when shredded. Thin-sliced trimmings and stew bits have short fibers, so the hand-shredding step cannot be reproduced.
Q2. What is the procedure with a pressure cooker?
Put the beef, 1 liter of water, bay leaves, and garlic into the pressure cooker and cook at high pressure for 40 minutes. After a natural release, take out the meat and shred it; the steps from the sofrito on are the same. If you also do the stew in the pressure cooker, 5 minutes at high pressure is enough. It is done in 1 hour in total, so it works for a weeknight dinner.
Q3. What can I use instead of white wine?
Cooking sake is the safest substitute. If you have dry sherry, the taste gets closer to the Cuban tradition. The alcohol in wine rounds off the acidity of the tomato and masks gaminess in the meat, so I recommend adding some alcohol rather than leaving it out. If you make it without alcohol, make up the acidity with 1 tbsp white wine vinegar plus 100 ml water.
Q4. How do I store ropa vieja?
It keeps for 4 days in the refrigerator. If you freeze it, it lasts 1 month in an airtight container. Reheating in a pot over low heat is best, but a microwave is fine too. As with stews in general, it tastes better from the next day on, once the sauce has soaked into the meat. Making a big batch, freezing it, and keeping it for weeknight dinners is the Cuban household way.
Q5. Is there anywhere to eat ropa vieja outside Cuba?
Cuban restaurants in cities with large Cuban communities, such as Miami's Little Havana, serve it as a standard. Order "Ropa Vieja" and it will be understood. Making it at home is the easiest and most reliable way, and every ingredient is available at an ordinary supermarket.
Related Latin American Dishes
If ropa vieja has caught your interest, explore more of the stew culture of the Caribbean and Latin America. A wide world of flavors woven from tomatoes, beans, and spices opens up.
- Feijoada: Brazil's stew of black beans and meat. A great South American stew that stands alongside ropa vieja
- Bandeja paisa (in Japanese): Colombia's platter. A plate of red beans, meat, and fried plantain
- Mofongo (in Japanese): Puerto Rico's plantain dish. You can feel what Caribbean food cultures share
The culture of eating shredded meat spreads across Latin America, just as with ropa vieja. Take a look at the tables of South America.
- Lomo saltado: Peru's beef stir-fry. A South American meat dish with Chinese influence
- Empanadas: Argentina's baked pies. Leftover ropa vieja makes an excellent filling
Sources
- Presilla, M. E. (2012). Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America. W. W. Norton. https://wwnorton.com/gran-cocina-latina (A comprehensive reference on Latin American cooking, with the history and traditional recipes of ropa vieja)
