Dirty Laundry for Dinner ? (Ropa Vieja recipe)
My hubby is half Cuban. I love when he cooks Cuban food for me. He always told me about Ropa Vieja because he loved it as a child and it means “Dirty Laundry” I found this recipe and wanted to give it a shot this week since it has bell peppers in it.
The outcome: it was very good. The meat was tender and flavorful. We served it with brown rice and tostones (fried plantains) but it would also make a great sandwich.
Ropa Vieja in a crockpot (from Allrecipes.com)*Note – based on the reviews of this recipe, I changed it around quite a bit – I’m posting what I did, click the link above to see original and reviews 2 pounds beef flank steak
6 cloves garlic
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 green bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 sweet onions, cut in wedges
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Place meat into slow cooker with the garlic, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir the tomato paste into the vinegar until dissolved; pour into slow cooker. Add the chopped vegetables to crockpot.
Cover, and cook on Low until the beef is tender, 7 to 8 hours; then remove beef, and shred. Place meat back in crockpot.
Cook on High about 1 to 2 hours.
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
This is brilliant. What an informative post! I need to use my crockpot more often… poor thing is so ignored.
This is brilliant. What an informative post! I need to use my crockpot more often… poor thing is so ignored.
I love my crockpot. Most people think they should only be used in the winter, but I love using mine in the summertime because then your kitchen doesn’t get hot and you still have a hot meal ready when you get home from work!
I have been in love with Stephanie O’Dea’s crockpot blog for a few years now and cook from it all the time. It was so exciting to see that you were linking back to her in this post – it’s like the corners of my culinary universe have collided into deliciousness! I highly recommend Stephanie’s blog and book for those who are looking to utilize the crockpot more often.
I’ve always wanted to make a chicken stock like this. (I thought that chicken broth involved the chicken meat while the stock involves the carcass. I could be wrong since I just started cooking over a year ago.) Anyway, thanks for sharing this recipe!
I’m excited to try this recipe. I love homemade soup and love your idea omn how to freeze it!!