Cuban Roast Beef Food

CUBAN SHREDDED BEEF (SLOW COOKER)

Steps:

• SEARING THE MEAT: Take the beef chuck roast and using a small paring knife, make 3 small 'x' marks into the meat. Take 3 cloves of garlic and insert them into the 3 'x' marks so that the clove is completely inserted into the thickness of roast. Season both sides of the meat with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the beef in one piece and fry on each side for 5 minutes, turning only when the exterior is browned. This will splatter a bit but don't cover the pan as the meat will end up steaming rather than searing.
• FOR THE ROPA VIEJA: Chop the remaining 3 cloves of garlic into thin slices and add to the slow cooker along with all the remaining ropa vieja ingredients. I used a 6-quart slow cooker but a 3-quart slow cooker will work too. Cover and let cook on the low setting for 7-8 hours. When the beef falls apart easily when pulled with two forks, it's done. Shred the beef with the forks and give it a stir. Taste for seasonings, season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
• TO SERVE: Serve over a bed of rice with cuban-style black beans on the side topped with additional cilantro and a few lime wedges. You can also use the shredded beef for burritos, breakfast quesadillas, or tacos! The possibilities are endless!

ROPA VIEJA (CUBAN BEEF)

Steps:

• Cut flank steak in half across the grain. Mix salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Season both sides generously with the salt mixture.
• Heat olive oil in a pot over high heat. Add steaks and cook until outsides are well browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove steaks to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add red onion, garlic, and more of the salt seasoning. Cook and stir until starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cloves, and allspice. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Pour in white wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth.
• Return beef and accumulated juices to the pot. Season with salt and add bay leaves. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beef is almost fork-tender, not falling apart, about 2 hours.
• Remove pot from heat and let stew cool to room temperature, at least 45 minutes. Refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight, for best results.
• Remove beef to a plate and set stew over medium heat. Tear beef along the grain into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-wide shreds; place back in the stew. Add bell peppers, poblanos, smoked paprika, capers, olives, and sugar. Stir together and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until peppers are soft and meat is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat, remove bay leaves, and stir in cilantro.

COMFORTING CUBE STEAKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Season the steaks on both sides with Cajun seasoning and black pepper. Place the steaks into the prepared baking dish. Pour the lemon-lime beverage over them. Combine the cream of mushroom soup and dry onion soup mix, and pour over the steaks.
• Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour, or until meat reaches desired doneness. Do not open the oven door during the first hour of cooking. Serve steaks with gravy spooned over.

AUTHENTIC CUBAN ROPA VIEJA (SHREDDED BEEF RECIPE)

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, add the meat with water and salt. Cook at medium-low until the meat is tender, about 2 hours. (In a pressure cooker, this takes about 40 minutes). Transfer to a plate. Shred meat and set aside.
• In a skillet, heat olive oil at medium heat. Add green pepper, onion, and pimientos. Sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
• Add dry cooking wine, tomato sauce, ground cumin, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the shredded meat to the skillet and stir to combine with the sauce. Cover and cook on low for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, without letting it dry out. Remove bay leaf and serve over white rice and sweet plantains. Enjoy!

CUBAN-STYLE POT ROAST

Steps:

• Combine the flour, 1 teaspoon cumin, salt and pepper in a shallow container or on wax paper. Roll beef in seasoned flour. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium; brown meat on all sides. Transfer meat to slow cooker, cover.
• Meanwhile, in the same skillet, add onions and garlic and cook 4 minutes or until onion is softened. Stir in remaining cumin to coat onions and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and crush larger pieces. Bring to boil; stir in tomato paste, red wine and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and stir. Pour mixture over beef. Cover and cook on low 8 hours; turn after 4 hours if possible.
• Remove beef from sauce to platter and tent with foil. Turn cooker heat to high and cook 10 to 15 minutes to reduce sauce. Remove bay leaf. Slice meat and spoon some sauce over meat before serving.

SLOW-COOKER PORK WITH PEPPERS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Toss onions with oil and garlic in a large, microwave-safe bowl until coated. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap; microwave on high until onions are just tender, about 4 minutes. Place pork in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add cooked onion mixture, tomatoes, bell peppers, oregano, and cumin. Cook on low until pork is very tender, 7 to 8 hours.
• Skim and discard excess fat from pork. Using 2 forks, shred pork inside slow cooker. Stir in olives, salt, vinegar, and pepper.
• Place beans in a medium microwave-safe bowl; stir in 1 cup cooking liquid from slow cooker. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap; microwave on high until beans are heated through, about 90 seconds. Serve beans and pork mixture with rice.

24 TRADITIONAL CUBAN FOODS (+ RECIPE COLLECTION)

Steps:

• Select your favorite recipe.
• Organize all the required ingredients.
• Prep a Cuban dish in 30 minutes or less!

CUBAN MOJO POT ROAST RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
• Whisk together orange juice, lime juice, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, and garlic until combined. Set aside.
• Season the chuck roast with the Kosher salt, and pepper.
• Add the canola oil to a pan and heat. When it ripples and is hot add in the roast and brown, deeply, for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
• Add carrots, potatoes, orange juice mixture, bay leaves, and beef broth and cook for 3 to 3½ hours.
• To make a thicker sauce, 30 minutes before it is done, skim the fat off the top, add a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water) to the pot and cook for the remaining 30 minutes.

CUBAN MOJO POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
• Whisk together orange juice, lime juice, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, and garlic until combined. Set aside.
• Season the chuck roast with the Kosher salt, and pepper.
• Add the canola oil to a pan and heat. When it ripples and is hot add in the roast and brown, deeply, for 4-5 minutes on each side.
• Add carrots, potatoes, orange juice mixture, bay leaves, and beef broth and cook for 3 - 3 1/2 hours.
• If you want a thicker sauce, 30 minutes before it is done skim the fat off the top, add a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water) to the pot and cook for remaining 30 minutes.

CUBAN ROAST BEEF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
• Mix the first 7 ingredients to make a stuffing.
• Make an incision 1 1/2" to 2" deep along the length of the roast.
• Stuff the stuffing into the incision.
• Salt and pepper the roast.
• Brown the roast on all sides in bacon fat in a large heavy casserole Add all the rest of the ingredients and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is very tender.
• Check once or twice to make sure that the liquid is not boiling away.
• Add water or unsalted stock as necessary.

CUBAN GRILLED CHUCK BEEF ROAST WITH GRILLED SWEET POTATOES AND BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• 1. Rub chuck roast on both sides with meat tenderizer then place on platter to rest.
• 2. Add toasted cumin, adobo, minced garlic, onion powder, and ground peppercorn medley, red pepper flakes, and dark brown sugar; mix well.
• 3. Coat both sides of chuck roast and place uncovered in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• 4. While roast is resting start sweet potatoes. Peel and quarter sweet potatoes.
• 5. Fill a 4-quart pot 2/3 with water and add salt. Place on medium-high heat.
• 6. Add peeled and quartered sweet potatoes and cook for 10 minutes.
• 7. Remove from pot and place on foil-lined pan. Drizzle with garlic flavored olive oil and sprinkle with fresh cilantro and dark brown sugar. Set aside.
• 8. Using a charcoal grill, build a medium-hot fire on one side of grill to place roast. Then place aluminum foil with sweet potatoes on side without fire. Make sure you poke at least 12 holes in foil so smoke and heat get to all potatoes. Close cover and grill for 7 minutes.
• 9. Then turn chuck roast and grill another 7 minutes. Turn potatoes each time you turn roast. Potatoes need to be fork tender so they may need an extra few minutes.
• 10. Remove roast to a baking sheet tent with foil and place in a 375 degree preheated oven to bake for 20-30 minutes.
• 11. If you like your meat medium to well, you may want to leave in oven longer. We like it pink in the middle remove from oven to rest. Place sweet potatoes and black beans in large bowl add the juice of one lime and fresh cilantro and toss gently.
• 12. Remove tent from roast and slice on the diagonal place in center of platter spoon sweet potatoes and bean mixture around sliced roast and squeeze the juice of 1 lime over entire platter. Cut 2 limes into quarters and place over and around dish.