Ropa Vieja
(roh-pah vee-eh-hah)
La Olla Mágica: Instant Pot Heritage
Forty-five minutes under pressure. Shortcuts will tell you to sear the beef first and dump everything into the steel insert together, but don't do it: true flavor comes from boiling the meat to create a clean, rich broth, shredding those fibers, and only then marrying them with a vivid, wine-laced sofrito. Using the Instant Pot mirrors the Soviet-era pressure cookers of the homeland, yielding the same meltingly tender strands; lock the heavy lid, let the steam build, and later pull the flank steak shreds apart, fold in the pimiento-stuffed olives, and get the rice ready.
Before you start
Prepare the vegetables like the meat.
Slice the onions and peppers into long, thin strips, often called julienne, to perfectly mimic the stringy texture of the shredded beef.
Ingredients
- flank steak2 lb
- yellow onion1/4 large
- green bell pepper1 small
- garlic clove2 med
- salt1 tsp
- bay leaf2 large
- water3 cup
- olive oil2 tbsp
- yellow onion1 large
- green bell pepper1 large
- red bell pepper1 large
- garlic clove6 med
- ground cumin1 1/2 tsp
- dried oregano1 tsp
- Sazón con culantro y achiote packet1 small
- Vino Seco or dry white wine1/2 cup
- tomato sauce8 oz
- tomato paste2 tbsp
- pimento-stuffed green olives1/3 cup
- olive brine1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Set up the initial boil.
Place the flank steak blocks in the Instant Pot with the quarter onion, the green pepper piece, the smashed garlic cloves, 1 bay leaf, and the salt. Pour in just enough water to barely cover the meat.
- 02
Cook under high pressure for thirty minutes.
Seal the lid and set the machine to Manual or Pressure Cook on High for 30 minutes. This mimics the traditional stovetop boil, breaking down tough muscle fibers and creating a pristine beef stock.
- 03
Strain the broth and shred the beef.
Allow a 10-minute natural pressure release, then quickly release the rest. Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Strain out the boiled vegetables from the liquid, reserve 1 1/2 cups of the beef broth, and discard the rest. Using two forks, pull the cooled beef along the grain into long, rag-like strands.
- 04
Sauté the sofrito vegetables.
Wipe the Instant Pot insert clean and return it to the machine. Set to Sauté mode, heat the olive oil, and add the sliced onion and bell peppers. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until soft and translucent.
- 05
Bloom the spices and deglaze the pot.
Stir in the minced garlic, cumin, oregano, and Sazón, cooking for 60 seconds until highly fragrant. Pour in the Vino Seco, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, and let it bubble and reduce for 2 minutes.
- 06
Build the final sauce.
Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, the reserved 1 1/2 cups of beef broth, and the remaining bay leaf. Add the shredded beef, the halved green olives, and the olive brine, stirring to coat the meat completely.
- 07
Simmer uncovered to thicken.
Turn the Sauté mode to Less or switch to Keep Warm. Leave the lid off and let the pot simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes. The sauce will concentrate and the meat fibers will soak up the garlicky, acidic tomato broth like little sponges.
Notes
The secret is in the two-step method.
Resist the urge to sear the beef first. Boiling it creates the required homemade broth and ensures the meat shreds cleanly without turning to mush in the final sauce.
Sourcing the meat.
Flank steak is canonical for its distinct, long muscle fibers. If it is too expensive at your local supermarket, a chuck roast or brisket will taste identical, even if the shredded strands are slightly shorter.
Finding Vino Seco.
Dry cooking wine, commonly sold under brands like Edmundo or Goya, is a staple of Cuban pantries. If you cannot find it in the Hispanic aisle, a cheap Pinot Grigio will do the job perfectly.
From Cook Cuban in America.