Ropa Vieja for Cool Autumn Nights

Ropa vieja. Photo: Jennifer Iserloh.

This week, we've had our first cool night on the East Coast, which got me craving something warmer for dinner. Savory beef with a soupy tomato sauce is my favorite Cuban country dish (with the exception of black beans and rice, of course!).

I've always wondered about the name, but realized the shredded beef does indeed resemble a twisted old dress shirt. There are several stories as to how the dish was named, but my favorite is about a very poor man who didn't have money to buy food for his family. He took some "ropa vieja" -- old clothing -- from the closet and cooked it in a pot with a lot of love. Miraculously, it turned into a rich and hearty beef stew.

My old clothes recipe, after the jump.

I agree with the notion that you should always cook from the heart, but is beef really bad for your heart? Beef gets a bit of a bad rap from the health police because it can be high in saturated fat.

For example, 4 ounces of chicken without the skin has about 1.5 grams of fat, while 4 ounces of flank steak has around 7 grams, three of which are saturated. But beef, in moderation, isn't necessarily bad for you, as long as you have your cholesterol in check and are in good shape otherwise.

Choose leaner cuts of beef like fillet, flank steak and well-trimmed stew beef and be sure to trim excess fat before you cook it.

Ropa Vieja

Serves 4

2-pound piece of flank steak
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped and separated into 2 parts
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
3 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves

Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 small green bell peppers, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 26-ounce can chopped tomatoes

In a large stockpot, add the flank steak, onions, carrot, celery, bay leaf and peppercorns. Add water just to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for about 1 1/2 hours until the beef shreds easily when pressed with a fork.

When the meat is very tender, turn off heat and let cool in liquid for 20 minutes, before removing from broth. Strain the broth into a small bowl and discard the vegetables. Set aside.

Make the sauce. Heat the oil over medium heat, add the minced onion, pepper and garlic. Sprinkle in the salt. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the tomato paste, cumin and oregano, cooking one minute more, until the tomato paste becomes fragrant.

Stir in the meat broth and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until the broth reduces slightly. Add the tomatoes and shredded meat. Cook 20 to 25 minutes, uncovered until the liquid reduces by half. Serve with rice and black beans.

Learn more about Jennifer at skinnychef.com, and read her exclusive Slashfood blogs every Monday and Friday.