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A bowl of Puerto Rican-style ropa vieja with rice and cilantro on a green mesh serving tray with a linen napkin beside it.
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5 / 2 votes

Puerto Rican-Style Ropa Vieja

This Puerto Rican-style ropa vieja is made by slowly braising beef chuck roast in a fragrant sauce of onions, peppers, tomatoes, olives, and raisins until meltingly tender.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 30 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Calories: 424

Ingredients

  • 1 large (9 oz) yellow onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 2 medium (13 oz) green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
  • One (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juice
  • 1/4 cup yellow mustard
  • 1/3 cup raisins, preferably golden
  • 1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, cut in half if large, plus 3 tablespoons olive brine for finishing the dish
  • One (2- to 3-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed of any large pieces of fat or gristle, cut into 3 even pieces
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • Cilantro, for serving (optional)
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300ºF (150ºC).
  • In a large, heavy, ovenproof pot, such as a Dutch oven, stir together the onion, garlic, bell peppers, diced tomatoes with their juice, mustard, raisins, and olives (hang onto that liquid from the olies for later).
  • Sprinkle the chuck roast all over with the salt, pepper, and cumin. Nestle the pieces into the mixture in the pot. Cover the pot tightly with a lid or aluminum foil.
  • Roast the beef until it’s incredibly tender and shreds easily when you poke at it with tongs or a couple of forks, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. 
  • Add the olive liquid to the pot and use those tongs or forks to shred the beef directly in the pot (discard any large pieces of fat as you work).
  • Stir the beef and juices together to combine. Taste and, if desired, add more salt. Serve warm with cilantro, if desired. (It’s honestly better the longer it sits. You can refrigerate it for up to a week and warm it up in a saucepan over low heat, splashing in a little water or stock if it needs some moisture. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.)
    A carton of frozen Puerto Rican-style ropa vieja.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 1322mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g