"Old cloths" is the literal translation of ropa vieja. The Cuban dish is made with leftover meat or flank steak that has been simmered several hours until it falls apart into strings. Any shredded meat boiled or fried can be used for this dish. As long as it is cooked with a traditional sauce of onions, garlic, green peppers and tomatoes, it's a ropa vieja.
For this quick version, I cut the steak into paper thin slices and sauteed it first. Then I added it to the sauce for a few minutes for the steak to absorb the sauce flavor. The result is a dish that takes a fraction of the time to prepare, but still has the feeling and flavor of the traditional long cooked dish.
Helpful Hints:
_ Any type of quick cooking rice can be used in the recipe.
_ Diced fresh onions and green bell pepper can be found in the produce section of the supermarket.
Countdown:
_ Make rice.
_ While rice cooks, prepare and cook meat dish.
Shopping List:
To buy:{ pound beef tenderloin steak, 1 large can whole tomatoes(ASTERISK), 1 bottle dried oregano, 1 bottle or can sliced pimentos, 1 package microwaveable brown rice, 1 container fresh diced onion, 1 container fresh diced green bell pepper, 1 small bunch carrots
Staples: olive oil spray, minced garlic, salt, black peppercorns.
(ASTERISK) Look for low-salt canned whole tomatoes.
