Ropa vieja (translation: “old clothes”)

This is a traditional Spanish dish that can be found in several Latino cuisines, including Cuba and Colombia. It’s a great hearty stew, especially when served over rice.

Ingredients (for cooking flank steak):

• 2 lb. flank steak
• Water
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 green pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tsp cumin

Put flank steak in a large, heavy pot or dutch oven. Add 1/2 onion, 1/4 green pepper, 1 tablespoon salt, 2 peeled cloves of garlic and a dash of cumin. Cover with water (make sure there’s a minimum of 3 inches of water covering the meat). Cover and boil on medium heat until flank steak is very tender (2 to 3 hours).

Ingredients (for Ropa Vieja)

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 cup of the meat broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

Remove the flank steak from the broth. Reserve the cooking water. Finely shred the meat into a large saucepan. Add 1/2 chopped onion, 1/2 chopped green pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can tomato paste and 1 cup of the meat broth. Add salt (garlic salt) and pepper to taste. Cook together for about 45 minutes. Serve over rice. Serves 4.