ropa vieja

I love using my slow-cooker, and was so excited to try this new recipe.  This stew is a take on the Cuban dish "ropa vieja", which means "old clothes" in Spanish, which is what the strips of meat and veg are said to resemble- a jumble of rags.  It turned out pretty good, and literally took 10 minutes to put together.

Here's what it takes:

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

2 red bell peppers, sliced 1/2 in thick

1 onion cut into 8 wedges

2 t of dried oregano

3 t of ground cumin

kosher salt and pepper

1.5 lbs flank steak, cut into 3 pcs (i asked the butcher to, and saved a step)

1 cup lng grain white rice

avocado and fresh cilantro for seasoning

In a slow cooker combine tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Nestle the beef in the vegetables and cook covered until tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 7 to 8.  Cook your rice and using two forks shred the meat and serve over rice with avocado and cilantro on top.

recipe courtesy Real Simple, dinner tonight: done!