This Cuban Creole dish, whose name means “old clothes,” knocks me out every time I eat it. You can cook and shred up the flank steak way in advance, then dinner is only half an hour away when you’re hungry for some good robust Latin flavors.

　　

Ingredients

feeds 4 to 6

　　

The Steak

1 flank steak (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)

　　Kosher salt and black pepper

　　2 tablespoons olive oil

　　1 carrot, cut in large hunks

　　1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

　　4 large cloves garlic, crushed

　　2 or 3 bay leaves

　　2 cups beef broth or stock (to make your own, see page 169)

　　

The Sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

　　1 medium onion, chopped

　　1 large green pepper, finely diced

　　1 or 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced

　　Pinch plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt

　　Pinch plus 1 teaspoon black pepper

　　4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

　　2 cans (16 ounces each) tomato sauce or 4 cups Mutha Sauce (page 165)

　　1 teaspoon ground cumin

　　2 teaspoons dried oregano

　　

The Accoutrements

4 to 6 cups Perfect Rice (page 117)

　　10 ounces fresh or frozen sweet peas, cooked

　　2 red peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into strips

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325°. Season the flank steak with salt and pepper. Schlepp a heavy 12-inch skillet over to the stove and heat the olive oil in it. Brown one side of the steak for about 4 minutes over high heat. Flip it over and add the carrots, onions, garlic, and bay leaves around the edges. Season everything with another pinch of salt and pepper. Brown the meat and veggies for 4 to 5 minutes more to get some nice caramelization going on. Add the broth. Bring just to a boil, cover, and pop into the oven and simmer til the beef is fork tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

　　

Step 2

Take the beef out of the pan and wrap it tightly in foil, saving all those tasty veggies and cooking juices. Let the beef rest for about 20 minutes, and then shred it with your fingers into long stringy pieces along the grain of the meat. Meanwhile, strain out the bay leaves and the veggies. Return the cooking liquid to the pan and boil everything down til you’ve got 1 cup of liquid. Mix the shredded beef back into the liquid in the pan.

　　

Step 3

Make a batch of sauce. Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the onions, green peppers, and jalapeños with a pinch of salt and pepper til soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the tomato sauce. Simmer for 15 minutes. Season with the cumin, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the shredded beef, simmer til heated through, and then check for seasonings.

　　

Step 4

Spoon Perfect Rice around the edges of a serving platter, and heap up the Ropa Vieja in the middle. Top it off with peas and red pepper strips. Let the feast begin.

　　Cooks' Note

　　The beef can be cooked and shredded a day ahead, if you’ve got the time.

　　Dinosaur Bar-B-QueTen Speed Press