Page 48 - Spring 2021

The ropa vieja dish is best served alongside yellow rice topped with Cuban black beans and garlic bread to be dipped in a zesty vegetable sauce.
Cuban black beans
2 15 oz.cans of black beans
1 tomato diced
1⁄2 onion diced
1 jalapeno pepper diced (use more or less for desired heat) 1 tbsp. finely diced cilantro
1⁄4z tsp. cumin
1 cup chicken broth Salt and pepper to taste
Strain most of the water from the black beans.
Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan.
Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat.
Serve the ropa vieja and the black beans over a bed of rice
(such as yellow rice with saffron).
Use a slotted spoon to remove the black beans from the
saucepan.
Use a regular serving spoon for the ropa vieja so that the sauce
will soak into the rice.
This dish can also be served with garlic bread to dip in the
sauce.
2 lbs. chuck roast
3 large tomatoes diced
2 red bell peppers sliced 1 green bell pepper sliced
1 jalapeno pepper diced
(use more or less for desired heat)
2 sweet onions sliced
1 cup beef broth
2 16 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 cup sweet red wine
2 tbsp. minced garlic
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. kosher salt (or sea salt) 1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. white sugar 1⁄2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp. olive oil
Rub half of salt and pepper on the chuck roast and place in a crock pot.
Top roast with half of the garlic, peppers, tomatoes and onions.
Add 1 cup of beef broth and half cup of red wine to the bottom of the crock pot. Do not pour over the top of the roast.
Cook on low setting for six hours. You should be able to pull apart the roast with a fork.
Start making the sauce about 30 minutes before the roast is finished cooking.
In a large saucepan add olive oil, remaining onions and peppers. Sauté on medium-high heat for five to six minutes
or until onions are translucent, stirring often.
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add remaining tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar cumin and cook
and stir for a minute.
Add tomato sauce and bay leaves. Reduce heat to low and add
red wine.
Carefully remove the roast from the crock pot. Discard the rest of the crock pot ingredients.
Allow the roast to set for about 10-15 minutes.
Pull the roast apart with two forks.
Return the shredded meat to the crock pot. Add hot sauce and
stir together.
Let the mixture set in the crock pot on high for about 30
minutes.
PAGE 46 | OCONEE THE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2021
Crock pot ropa vieja