Ropa Vieja with Avocado Cilantro Sauce – My Spicy Take on a traditional cuban dish

Hi lovelies,

I have been cooking alot lately. I have diligently taking pictures of everything too in hopes that I will get some time to share those recipes with you. I am alittle too excited to share this recipe with you only because it turned out exactly how I imagined. Ropa Vieja is a traditional cuban dish made out of slow cooked shredded beef. I first came across this dish 6 hours away from where I live on a trip to the beach. It was one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten. Ofcourse now I cant drive 6 hours on the whim to go eat there every month so I decided to wing it on my own. I looked up several recipes but when it came down to making it, I decided I am going to make it spicy. Make it like how a south asian will cook beef lol. Here is my take on the dish. Let me know what you think 🙂

I also recently invested in a giant slow cooker so there is alot of slow cooking going on in my house.

Ingredients:
1.5 pound Flank Steak

1/2 can tomato paste (3oz)

1 Chopped onion

3 largely chopped garlic cloves

1/4 cup Red wine vinegar

Salt as per taste

2 tsp White pepper

2 tsp Turmeric

4 tsp Cumin

4 tsp crushed red pepper

4 tsp paprika

4 tsp cayenne pepper

Ingredients for Sauce:

1 Avacado

1 clove garlic

3 tsp Lemon juice

3 tablespoon Ranch

1/4 cup milk

Handful of Cliantro

Salt as per your taste

Instructions:

1- Marinate the meat with salt, cumin, turmeric, white pepper, red crushed pepper, paprika and cayenne and refrigerate for atleast 2 hours to overnight

2- Place the chopped onions and garlic at the bottom of the slow cooker.

3- Place the meat on top of the onions and garlic

4- Pour Red wine vinegar and Tomato paste over the meat.

5- Close the lid and cook on low for about 5 to 6 hours. Add water as needed to keep the meat moist.

6- Once the meat is cooked and cooled off take it out and shred it before plating.

Instruction to make the Sauce:

1- Blend all the ingredients together in the blender.

2- Pour over the meat and rice and serve.