we make this with deer, elk, or most any cervid - or you can use beef (buffalo?). Key (for me) is to use a "stringy" meat - conventional is to use flank steak, but it works with neck roasts and skirt steaks well. We have also used regular roasts, but they don't string as well
ingredients:
3 pounds meat (adjust below if using more or less meat)
2 tablespoons (or more if using flank steak) extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
3½ teaspoons kosher salt
8 garlic cloves, finely grated
½ cup dry white wine
4 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
2 bay leaves
¾ cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives, halved crosswise (we sometimes leave them whole)
capers (optional)
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
(my Wife has also used Sofrito as a base - worked well) example: https://www.sofritoproject.com/recipes/2019/2/12/ropa-vieja
Chopped cilantro, white rice, maduros, and black beans (for serving)
Preparation (but basically you brown the meat, then add it all together and simmer for hours)
Pat meat dry with paper towels. Heat oil in a large pot over high. brown meat till browned on both sides, couple of minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Cook onion, bell peppers, and salt in a bit of oil, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 12–14 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently and scraping bottom of pan, until vegetables are golden brown, 3–5 minutes. Stir in wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until evaporated. Stir in paprika, oregano, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne until vegetables are coated; continue to cook, stirring, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and coarsely break up with a spoon (they’ll continue to break down as they cook). Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
put roast into tomato mixture and tuck in bay leaves on either side. Cover and simmer. until meat is very tender and shreds easily, 2½–3 hours.
Skim excess fat from sauce; discard bay leaves. Using a potato masher or 2 forks, tear and smash beef into sauce until it’s shredded and incorporated into sauce. Stir in olives and vinegar.
Serve with rice, maduros, and beans alongside. I like it with eggs for breakfast. Heck, I like it most anytime for any meal. Makes a great "sloppy sandwich" on a hard bread
ingredients:
3 pounds meat (adjust below if using more or less meat)
2 tablespoons (or more if using flank steak) extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
3½ teaspoons kosher salt
8 garlic cloves, finely grated
½ cup dry white wine
4 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
2 bay leaves
¾ cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives, halved crosswise (we sometimes leave them whole)
capers (optional)
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
(my Wife has also used Sofrito as a base - worked well) example: https://www.sofritoproject.com/recipes/2019/2/12/ropa-vieja
Chopped cilantro, white rice, maduros, and black beans (for serving)
Preparation (but basically you brown the meat, then add it all together and simmer for hours)
Pat meat dry with paper towels. Heat oil in a large pot over high. brown meat till browned on both sides, couple of minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Cook onion, bell peppers, and salt in a bit of oil, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 12–14 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently and scraping bottom of pan, until vegetables are golden brown, 3–5 minutes. Stir in wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until evaporated. Stir in paprika, oregano, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne until vegetables are coated; continue to cook, stirring, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and coarsely break up with a spoon (they’ll continue to break down as they cook). Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
put roast into tomato mixture and tuck in bay leaves on either side. Cover and simmer. until meat is very tender and shreds easily, 2½–3 hours.
Skim excess fat from sauce; discard bay leaves. Using a potato masher or 2 forks, tear and smash beef into sauce until it’s shredded and incorporated into sauce. Stir in olives and vinegar.
Serve with rice, maduros, and beans alongside. I like it with eggs for breakfast. Heck, I like it most anytime for any meal. Makes a great "sloppy sandwich" on a hard bread
