Pressure Cooker Cuban Ropa Vieja
Ingredients
- kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 pounds beef flank steak
- 3½ cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup dry red wine (Pinot Noir works well)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Directions
- Season flank steak with salt and pepper.
- Pour water into pressure cooker; add flank steak and bay leaves.
- Lock pressure cooker lid in place and set steam vent to Sealing.
- Select Pressure Cook (Manual) and cook for 35 minutes on High pressure.
- Once the cooking cycle has completed, set steam vent to Venting to quick-release pressure.
- Transfer flank steak to a cutting board to cool for about 5 minutes before shredding the beef into ½- to 1-inch pieces.
- Drain pressure cooker, reserving 1 cup liquid and the bay leaves.
- Heat canola oil in the pressure cooker on Sauté. Cook and stir onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, garlic, oregano, and cumin together in hot oil until vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Stir tomato sauce, red wine, and reserved liquid and bay leaves with the vegetables mixture. Return shredded beef to the pot with vinegar; season with salt and pepper.
- Lock pressure cooker lid in place and set steam vent to Sealing.
- Select Pressure Cook (Manual) and cook for 15 minutes on High pressure.
- Once the cooking cycle has completed allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then set steam vent to Venting to quick-release remaining pressure.
The origin of this classic caribbean dish is actually from the Canary Islands off the coast of North Africa. The original version of Ropa Vieja was a creative use for leftovers, but later became a shredded meat dish. In the Canary Islands it is often prepared with garbanzo beans.
For more Cuban-inspired recipes, you might enjoy:
Reviews
What others are saying
Erin Hudson says:
I am a huge fan of cuban food and sandwiches so I paired this dish with a nice french bread loaf and made paninis for the family. I substituted the flank steak with skirt steak to add a more beefy flavor and they turned out amazing.
George Delamea says:
Had never heard of ropa vieja, but am completely glad I decided to try it! A big plate of this with spicy black beans and rice hit the spot perfectly. Very simple and savory recipe. I could see doing this in wraps/burritos, too. Even piled on garlic mashed potatoes. It's just so good.
Jessica Scott says:
Very good, authentic tasting ropa vieja! Incredible flavor! I served mine with basic white rice. This recipe was very quick and easy to make in the pressure cooker.
Laura Griffin says:
I made this recipe with rice and beans. Very good, traditional ropa vieja recipe! The flank steak wasn't dry, perfect texture and excellent flavors. The wine and tomato sauce are a perfect combination.
Katie Hason says:
I was pleasantly surprised at how good this recipe was. I made some fried corn tortillas and served the ropa vieja on top, similar to a tostada. The dry red wine gives it a really special flavor, so if you make this recipe definitely don't skip that step!