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Cuban-style shredded beef and rice

11
Points®
Total Time
1 hr 23 min
Prep
8 min
Cook
1 hr 15 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Moderate
This dish is based on the Cuban classic ropa vieja (ROH-pah vee-EH-ha), which means “old clothes” in Spanish and refers to the ragged appearance of this delicious shredded beef. Cooking the beef low and slow on the stovetop creates a meltingly tender texture that’s totally worth the longer cook time. It’s typically served over rice, but you could transform it into veggie-inspired variation and serve it over riced cauliflower or spiralized zucchini noodles. You can also the beef as a super-flavorful filling for tacos, burritos, or enchiladas. Here, we’ve stirred cilantro into the finished dish but you can use chopped fresh parsley or green onions instead.

Ingredients

Uncooked lean flank steak

1 pound(s), trimmed

Fat free beef broth

14½ fl oz

Garlic

3 clove(s), peeled

Garlic

2 clove(s), minced

Olive oil

1 tsp

Onion

1 medium, chopped

Canned diced tomatoes

14½ oz

Green hot chile peppers

½ oz, 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

Dried oregano

1 tsp

Ground cumin

1 tsp

Table salt

½ tsp

Cilantro

¼ cup(s), fresh, chopped

Cooked long grain brown rice

4 cup(s)

Lime

½ medium, cut into wedges

Instructions

  1. Combine the steak, broth, and peeled garlic in a medium nonstick skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the steak is very tender, about 1 hour.
  2. Remove the skillet from the heat and let stand 15 minutes. Reserve 1⁄2 cup of the broth; save the remaining broth for another use. Discard the garlic. Transfer the steak to a cutting board; with 2 forks, shred the beef.
  3. Wipe out the skillet. Add the oil and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and minced garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, jalapeño pepper, oregano, cumin, and salt; cook, stirring, 5 minutes longer. Stir in the shredded beef and the reserved 1⁄2 cup broth. Continue to cook until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes.
  4. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Serve with the rice and lime wedges. Yields 3⁄4 cup beef mixture and 1 cup rice per serving.

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