beef cheek ropa vieja over crispy fried tostones
There are few dishes that evoke the warm feelings of hearth and home quite like ropa vieja. No other meal is so singularly entwined with Cuban culture and cuisine than this ebullient stew. Cuba’s legislature officially declared arroz con pollo (chicken + yellow rice) the national dish of Cuba in 1930, but if you ask people from all walks of life what Cuba’s national dish is, you’ll get a very different answer. The one you’ll get most often is ropa vieja, which whimsically translates to “old clothes” since its shredded beef resembles old, tattered clothes. This hearty beef and vegetable stew, in which the meat has been twice cooked, is a staple in just about every Cuban home and restaurant throughout South Florida and the Caribbean. Heaven knows that I’ve probably wolfed down 50 cows worth of ropa vieja in my life, and I intend to devour another 50 before I check out of this realm!
The storied history of this dish ranges from the fantastical to the more tenable. I once heard a yarn about an impoverished old man who shredded his own clothes and cooked them in order to feed his starving family. Being a person full of love and armed with unwavering faith, the impecunious man prayed over his unwholesome creation whereupon a miracle materialized and turned the simmering concoction into a rich, meaty and nutritious stew. While this far-fetched legend is clearly dubious, the truth is a bit more rooted in reality.
Dating back more than 500 years to the Middle Ages, research has shown that ropa vieja originated with the Sephardic Jews of the Canary Islands, off the coast of Spain. I myself am descended from these islanders, as are many Cubans today. When the Canarian colonial migration made its way to the Caribbean, these conquistadores brought with them their most prized recipes as a way to remind them of their homes in Spain. After settling in Cuba, these colonizers continued to cook this cherished dish and the tradition has lived on generation after generation, eventually becoming recognized as the national dish of Cuba due its longevity and ubiquity.
My mother has a 5th degree black belt in ropa vieja cookery. About once a week my mom would get off of work, pick my brother and me up from school and go home to bang out this most savory of meals. Served with black beans, white rice and tostones (twice-fried green plantains), my brother and I would practically dive into our plates to voraciously scarf our glorious repast. A saucy blend of tender beef, vegetables and aromatic spices, ropa vieja deserves the accolades and prestige that have been been heaped upon it for hundreds of years. In this iteration of the timeless classic, we’ll be preparing it as an elegant appetizer that is bursting with flavor and beckoning in its simplicity.
At the risk of sounding immodest, the use of beef cheeks here is inspired. An oft overlooked cut of meat with a dedicated following, cheeks pack a huge amount of flavor and are uniquely lean and tender. A tough cut, cooking it slow and low makes it irresistibly unctuous, every mouthful being luscious and juicy. If you can’t find beef cheeks at your local supermarket or butcher shop, flank is the most commonly utilized cut for ropa vieja. But, if you can get them, these cheeky little bastards will break you out of your red meat rut and take your carnivorous cravings to the next level. Now, let’s make some magic!
ropa vieja over crispy tostones
beef cheeks
2 lbs. beef cheeks
1 white Spanish onion, peeled + quartered
1 tsp. black peppercorns
2 dried bay leaves
water
Place the cleaned and trimmed beef cheeks, quartered onion, peppercorns and two bay leaves in a 6-quart dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Add enough water to completely cover the beef cheeks. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer the cheeks for 2 ½ – 3 hours, until the cheeks are extremely tender.
Remove from heat. Take the meat out of the liquid and set aside, reserving the resulting beef stock in a separate container for later. Once the meat is cool enough to handle comfortably with your hands, gently pull the meat apart to shred. Set aside.
ropa vieja
2 tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup sofrito
½ red bell pepper, seeded + cut into ½” strips
½ yellow bell pepper, seeded + cut into ½” strips
½ green bell pepper, seeded + cut into ½” strips
1 small white Spanish onion, peeled + halved + cut into thin half-moon strips
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. granulated sugar
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
½ cup dry red cooking wine
¾ cup reserved beef stock
2 tbsp. canned pimientos, thinly sliced (optional)
¼ cup green olives (optional)
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
In the same dutch oven set over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the sofrito and lightly fry until aromatic, about 2-3 minutes. Add the peppers and onion and sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the cumin, oregano + sugar, and stir well to combine. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour in the red cooking wine and deglaze the pan by scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. This is flavor country! Add the reserved beef stock and the crushed tomatoes. Stir well to combine.
Now, stir in the beef. Do this gently so as to not break up the tender meat. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer, covered, for 12-15 minutes. Add the sliced olives and the pimentos, if using, and gently stir through. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
3 large green plantains
3 cups cold water
¼ cup kosher salt
juice of 1 lime
1 cup avocado or canola oil
coarse sea salt, to taste
Whisk the water, lime juice and the ¼ cup of kosher salt until the salt is dissolved. Set aside.
Cut the ends off the plantains first, then gently cut 4 vertical slits down the entire length of the plantain peel with the tip of your paring knife, making sure not to cut into the plantain flesh. This will help you in peeling away the peel without breaking off any of the flesh. Green plantains are pretty hard and can break when pulling away the peel if you’re not careful. Cut the plantain widthwise into 1 – 1 1/2” thick rounds. The thicker you slice the plantain, the wider they will be when you flatten them.
Place the peeled rounds into the salted water and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes, no longer. This will keep the plantains from oxidizing and turning dark brown, and infuses the plantain with a touch of flavor.
In a 9” cast iron skillet heat the oil over medium heat until just shimmering. You don’t want the oil to be too hot, otherwise the outside of the plantain will crisp before the middle gets nice and tender. Working in batches, remove the plantain slices from the salted water and dry very well on paper towels.
Carefully place the plantain slices in the oil, cut-side down. Fry for about 3 minutes, then flip the slices to the other cut side. Fry for another 3 minutes, until lightly golden. Drain well on paper towels and allow to cool slightly.
If using a “tostonera” place a plantain slice, cut-side down, and flatten with the lid. Repeat with all plantain slices. Place back in the salted lime water.
Using the same oil and skillet as before raise the heat to medium-high until very hot. Remove plantains from the lime and pat dry with paper towels. Working in batches again, carefully place in the hot oil and fry until light golden-brown in the center and crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from oil and drain well on paper towels. Sprinkle some salt on each of the plantain slices as they drain on the paper towels.
To assemble, lay the fried tostones on a cutting board. Pile about 3 tablespoons of the ropa vieja onto the tostones. Feel free to use your hands to make sure you pile the beef on high and tight. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro for garnish, plate and serve with lime wedges.
brujo notes:
- Traditionally, flank steak is used to make ropa vieja. If you can’t get beef cheeks, flank is the best option for an authentic experience.
- Beef cheeks are a working muscle, this means that there is a lot of connective tissue and sinew, along with a good amount of fat. Using a sharp boning knife carefully trim the sinew, fat and silver skin from the cheeks. If buying them from your butcher, they will likely have already done this for you. Cooking beef cheeks slow and low, as we’re doing here, makes for extremely tender, buttery meat. However, sinewy fibers will not break down the same way and will remain rather tough and chewy, so it is of the utmost importance to remove them.
- When purchasing the plantains for the tostones, make sure you select the greenest plantains available. The more yellow they are, the sweeter they’ll be and that’s not what we want for this dish.
- If you don’t have a tostonera you can use the following technique: place the par-fried plantain chunks onto a piece of parchment paper, slightly off center. Fold the larger half of the paper over the plantain chunk. Now, using the bottom of a small skillet or plate, flatten the plantain chunk by pressing down. Don’t whack the plantain as you would when driving a nail into a wall. Just press down until the plantain flattens to make a thin patty of sorts. Proceed with the recipe as instructed.
wine pairing: Muga Reserva Spanish Rioja 2016.
This ruby-red wine puts the flavor of fruit front and center, with a slightly smoky finish from its time spent aging in wood casks. Smooth and mellow with a tanniny kick, it’s a perfect selection for ropa vieja, or most any braised beef dish.
beer pairing: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Tropical Torpedo Tropical IPA.
With an acute pop of intense hoppiness, it mellows with exotic and tropical hints of mango, passionfruit + papaya. Pairs perfectly with ropa vieja to cut through the weighty richness of the dish.
musical pairing: Candela – Buena Vista Social Club
beef cheek ropa vieja over crispy fried tostones
- Total Time: approx. 4 hours
- Yield: 15–20 servings 1x
Description
Try your hand at a reimagined classic! This Ropa vieja is a saucy blend of tender beef, vegetables and aromatic spices over crispy green plantain tostones.
free from: gluten + dairy + soy + peanut + tree nut + fish + shellfish
Ingredients
the beef cheeks:
2 lbs. beef cheeks
1 white Spanish onion, peeled + quartered
1 tsp. black peppercorns
2 dried bay leaves
water
the ropa vieja:
2 tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup sofrito
½ red bell pepper, seeded + cut into ½” strips
½ yellow bell pepper, seeded + cut into ½” strips
½ green bell pepper, seeded + cut into ½” strips
1 small white Spanish onion, peeled + halved + cut into thin half-moon strips
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. granulated sugar
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
½ cup dry red cooking wine
¾ cup reserved beef stock
2 tbsp. canned pimientos, thinly sliced (optional)
¼ cup green olives (optional)
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
the tostones:
3 large green plantains
3 cups cold water
¼ cup kosher salt
juice of 1 lime
1 cup avocado or canola oil
coarse sea salt, to taste
Instructions
for the beef cheeks:
Place the cleaned and trimmed beef cheeks, quartered onion, peppercorns and two bay leaves in a 6-quart dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Add enough water to completely cover the beef cheeks. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer the cheeks for 2 ½ – 3 hours, until the cheeks are extremely tender.
Remove from heat. Take the meat out of the liquid and set aside, reserving the resulting beef stock in a separate container for later. Once the meat is cool enough to handle comfortably with your hands, gently pull the meat apart to shred. Set aside.
for the ropa vieja:
In the same dutch oven set over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the sofrito and lightly fry until aromatic, about 2-3 minutes. Add the peppers and onion and sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the cumin, oregano + sugar, and stir well to combine. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour in the red cooking wine and deglaze the pan by scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. This is flavor country! Add the reserved beef stock and the crushed tomatoes. Stir well to combine.
Now, stir in the beef. Do this gently so as to not break up the tender meat. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer, covered, for 12-15 minutes. Add the sliced olives and the pimentos, if using, and gently stir through. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
for the tostones:
Whisk the water, lime juice and the ¼ cup of kosher salt until the salt is dissolved. Set aside.
Cut the ends off the plantains first, then gently cut 4 vertical slits down the entire length of the plantain peel with the tip of your paring knife, making sure not to cut into the plantain flesh. This will help you in peeling away the peel without breaking off any of the flesh. Green plantains are pretty hard and can break when pulling away the peel if you’re not careful. Cut the plantain widthwise into 1 – 1 1/2” thick rounds. The thicker you slice the plantain, the wider they will be when you flatten them.
Place the peeled rounds into the salted water and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes, no longer. This will keep the plantains from oxidizing and turning dark brown, and infuses the plantain with a touch of flavor.
In a 9” cast iron skillet heat the oil over medium heat until just shimmering. You don’t want the oil to be too hot, otherwise the outside of the plantain will crisp before the middle gets nice and tender. Working in batches, remove the plantain slices from the salted water and dry very well on paper towels.
Carefully place the plantain slices in the oil, cut-side down. Fry for about 3 minutes, then flip the slices to the other cut side. Fry for another 3 minutes, until lightly golden. Drain well on paper towels and allow to cool slightly.
If using a “tostonera” place a plantain slice, cut-side down, and flatten with the lid. Repeat with all plantain slices. Place back in the salted lime water.
Using the same oil and skillet as before raise the heat to medium-high until very hot. Remove plantains from the lime and pat dry with paper towels. Working in batches again, carefully place in the hot oil and fry until light golden-brown in the center and crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from oil and drain well on paper towels. Sprinkle some salt on each of the plantain slices as they drain on the paper towels.
To assemble, lay the fried tostones on a cutting board. Pile about 3 tablespoons of the ropa vieja onto the tostones. Feel free to use your hands to make sure you pile the beef on high and tight. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro for garnish, plate and serve with lime wedges.
Notes
pairings:
wine: Muga Reserva Spanish Rioja 2016
beer: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Tropical Torpedo Tropical IPA.
musical: Candela – Buena Vista Social Club
brujo notes:
- Traditionally, flank steak is used to make ropa vieja. If you can’t get beef cheeks, flank is the best option for an authentic experience.
- Beef cheeks are a working muscle, this means that there is a lot of connective tissue and sinew, along with a good amount of fat. Using a sharp boning knife carefully trim the sinew, fat and silver skin from the cheeks. If buying them from your butcher, they will likely have already done this for you. Cooking beef cheeks slow and low, as we’re doing here, makes for extremely tender, buttery meat. However, sinewy fibers will not break down the same way and will remain rather tough and chewy, so it is of the utmost importance to remove them.
- When purchasing the plantains for the tostones, make sure you select the greenest plantains available. The more yellow they are, the sweeter they’ll be and that’s not what we want for this dish.
- If you don’t have a tostonera you can use the following technique: place the par-fried plantain chunks onto a piece of parchment paper, slightly off center. Fold the larger half of the paper over the plantain chunk. Now, using the bottom of a small skillet or plate, flatten the plantain chunk by pressing down. Don’t whack the plantain as you would when driving a nail into a wall. Just press down until the plantain flattens to make a thin patty of sorts. Proceed with the recipe as instructed.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 1/2 hours
- Category: main dish magic, appetizer alchemy
- Cuisine: Cuban
Keywords: beef cheek, ropa vieja, crispy, fried, green plantain, tostones
