There's nothing quite like a hearty bowl of beef stew to keep you warm- and there's no beef stew like Ropa Vieja!
flank steak sea salt olive oil bell peppers yellow onion garlic tomato paste paprika cumin dried oregano white wine whole peeled tomatoes bay leaves spanish olives cilantro
Slice the steak into 8 large pieces, and season with salt. Sauté until browned on both sides. Move the browned steak to a plate.
Add bell peppers and onion to the pot and stir until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add in the garlic, tomato paste, paprika, cumin, and oregano.
Add in the wine, and use it to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Simmer until reduced by half, about 4-5 minutes.
Add in the tomatoes and their juices, and the bay leaves. Smash the tomatoes with a wooden spoon to break them up, or slice them up beforehand.
Add in the flank steak and water enough to cover it, then cover the pot.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the steaks simmer until tender enough to shred, approximately 3 hours.
Once tender, transfer the steaks to a cutting board and shred them with forks.
Add the steak back to the stew. Simmer until the liquid is reduced down to a thick sauce, approximately 10 minutes.
Stir in the olives, then season with additional salt and pepper. Spoon the ropa vieja over rice and beans, and serve! Top with cilantro if you'd like.