Ropa Vieja

adapted from Memories of a Cuban Kitchen

   Interested in "Old Clothes" for dinner? I wish I could say I grew up eating this dish frequently and have a family recipe handed down from my bisabuela or something- but I was a super picky eater until high school...and a cookbook from my esposo is the true source. The 'lahatchita' part of me comes from being 1/2 Cuban.  My mom used to joke that the only visible Cuban part was my Cuban booty. Nevertheless, I really love good Cuban food and hope to cook lots so that maybe my 1/4 Cuban daughter will have some good recipes up her sleeve in the future.
  I made the recipe as described below, but I think it could easily be adjusted to work in a slow cooker. Also, if you want to make it super authentic, you could make it with horse meat from Argentine horses- that is how my mom had it growing up.

Ingredients

1 1/2 - 2 lbs flank steak, cut in half
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup cooking sherry
1-2 tsp. dried oregano
1-2 tsp. ground cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2-1 cup early sweet peas, (if using canned, drain)


Directions

1. Place beef and one bay leaf in a large saucepan, cover with salted water and cook over low heat until meat is tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove the meat from the stock (save the stock if you desire), allow to cool at room temperature, then cut into 2-inch chunks.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over low heat until fragrant. Add onions, bell pepper, and garlic, stirring until tender- about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sherry, oregano, cumin, and remaining bay leaf, cooking uncovered an additional 15 minutes.

3. When the meat is cool, shred it with fingers,  remove excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Add it to the tomato mixture and cover. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, garnish with peas and serve with rice and beans and perhaps a little Cuban salad on the side.

Note: This dish can be prepared a day or two in advance, cooled, and refrigerated, then simmered (covered) over low heat until heated through, 30-35 minutes.

Serves 6-8