Crock Pot Ropa Vieja

Ropa vieja can be a daunting task for just about any cook. It takes a long time to make since the cut of meat that is used tends to be pretty tough until it’s cooked long enough that it’s nice and tender. For dishes like those, I typically prefer to use my Crock Pot (or any slow cooker, for that matter). Who really has the time or energy to stare at their oven all day long? Below is an easy slow cooker ropa vieja recipe that you can set and forget, go about your day, and come home to a flavorful meal.

• Ingredients:
• 3 lbs. beef flank or skirt steak (you can also do half flank, half skirt)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1 14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
• salt
• black pepper
• oregano
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 4-5 whole garlic cloves, peeled

1. Add the beef broth, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, turmeric, and apple cider vinegar to the slow cooker. Stir.
2. Add the steak and flip it around in the sauce so it’s completely coated. Add both bell peppers, onion, and garlic. Mix those items together to combine on top of the meat.
3. Cover and cook on LOW, without opening the lid, for 9 hours.
4. Shred the meat using 2 forks right in the slow cooker.
5. Service with rice (or any side you prefer) and enjoy!

Ta-da!

This came out super flavorful and incredibly tender! The beef pretty much shredded itself with barely any assistance from the two forks I used. The sauce is also great to be scooped up with any bread you may have laying around. I love this recipe because it’s one of those things you can either set to cook overnight while you sleep or while you’re awake and out running errands. Either way you’ll come back to a delicious meal you didn’t have to pay much attention to while it cooked.

This recipe is based off the following link found here.