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. 


I came here to read your Daring Bakers post, but was interested in this recipe. It sounds great and I have some plantains to use up, so I might try to make this soon!
I MUST try this recipe! I have always been afraid of trying to make ropa vieja…I’m afraid it won’t taste as good as the stuff from back home.
Steph – you should try it and let me know how authentic it tastes.
sounds great and I have some plantains to use up.
That sounds so delicious.