Ropa vieja with brown rice
8
Points®
Total time: 4 hr 40 min • Prep: 10 min • Cook: 4 hr 30 min • Serves: 4 • Difficulty: Easy
Smoked paprika – made from drying red peppers over wood fires – gives this slow-cooked, Cuban beef dish its rich red hue and smoky notes. It’s deliciously comforting on a chilly evening
Ingredients
Calorie controlled cooking spray
4 spray(s)
Onion
1 medium, finely sliced
Red pepper
1 medium, deseeded and finely sliced
Yellow pepper
1 medium, deseeded and finely sliced
Beef Braising Steak, Lean, raw
800 g, diced
Garlic
4 clove(s), crushed
Oregano, Dried
1 teaspoon(s), level
Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon(s), level
Paprika
2 teaspoon(s), level
Tinned Tomatoes
2 can(s), large, plum
Beef stock cube(s)
1 cube(s), 200ml stock
Brown Rice, dry
240 g
Olives, in Brine
50 g, sliced
Coriander, fresh
1 tablespoon(s), leaves, to garnish
Lime
1 medium, wedges, to serve
Instructions
1
Heat a large casserole dish over a medium heat and lightly mist with cooking spray. Fry the onion and peppers for 10 minutes, until starting to soften. Remove and set aside.
2
Mist the dish again with cooking spray and turn up the heat to high. Season the beef and add to the pan in 2 batches to cook – you don’t want to overcrowd the dish, so make it 3 batches if necessary. Cook each batch for 5 minutes, until well browned, adding the cooked beef to the resting onion and pepper as you go.
3
Once all the beef is browned, put it back in the dish along with the onion and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the dried herbs and spices and cook for another minute. Pour in the tinned tomatoes and beef stock. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover the dish and cook for 4 hours, or until the beef easily falls apart.
4
Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the pack instructions. Take the beef off the heat and shred it in the dish using 2 forks. Add the olives and stir through, then season to taste. Divide the stew between 4 bowls, garnish with the coriander and serve with the rice and lime wedges on the side.
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