Gluten Free RECIPE: Easy crockpot ropa vieja flank steak with rice & beans
I love making things in a crockpot slow cooker because it’s SO easy. You can throw everything in overnight for the morning (prepare to wake up hungry) or in the morning and have dinner ready (and have your home smell amazing the entire day).
Ropa vieja is one of my favorite cuban dishes. Ropa Vieja literally translates to old clothes in Spanish. It’s a delicious hearty stew with pulled steak that’s great paired with rice and beans… and makes everything smell AMAZING!!
Ingredients:
Flank steak (1 package, typically around a pound)
Marinara sauce (2 jars)
Onion (chopped into long strands)
Bell peppers (red/orange/yellow)
Garlic (chopped cloves, or minced garlic)
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper
optional - chili concentrate if you love to add some spicy to your food! I used Paqu Jaya Peruvian chili concentrate
Steps:
Cover the bottom of your crockpot with olive oil and then put some of your finely chopped garlic (or minced garlic if you want it super easy… like me).
Then add some slices of the onion across the bottom of the pot. Put the flank steak in the pot so that it is on top of olive oil, garlic, and onion - this will make sure the flavor gets directly into the meat. Then add some more of your minced/chopped garlic and onions on top of the steak before adding in strips of bell peopper and the rest of your onion in the pot.
After adding all the vegetables, add in your two jars of marinara sauce (I get the original marinara from Trader Joes without meat, just with Italian seasonings, any original Italian marinara sauce works). After you empty the jar into the crockpot, I like to add in a little water into the jar, shake it up (with the top on) and add in that water into the crockpot - this makes sure you get all the marinara sauce (and ensures that your jar is clean and ready to recycle)!
If you want some extra spice, you can add some chili concentrate into the crockpot as well. The Paqu Jaya Peruvian Panka Chili Concentrate is delicious mixed in!
Shake in a little garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and put on low for 8-10 hours. After about 8 hours, you can take two forks and pull apart the flank steak into shreds. It should come apart easily - if it doesn't come apart, then it’s too soon. Let it cook for longer. The longer the better. I like to do this in the morning so that the whole day my apartment smells AMAZING and by dinner time my mouth is watering and ready to eat.
With these four easy steps, you can get everything in the crockpot in about 15 minutes - or however long it takes you to slice an onion and peppers (onions can take a while if you tear up, like me).
To top off the dish, the ropa vieja shredded flank steak is great paired with white rice and black beans. I strain a can of black beans and put them in the microwave for a few minutes and mix it in with the white rice (make according to directions on package). You can make rice on the stove or (even quicker) in the microwave, if you get a frozen rice packet (I use the Trader Joes in the freezer section - Jasmine white rice) - you can choose whatever rice you prefer. Ropa Vieja is also delicious served with guacamole, chips, and cheese (mine is Rizo Bros California Creamery cheese) — because they all go well on everything!
The key to a delicious ropa vieja is time, let it cook on low for as long as possible and it will be delicious!
How did yours turn out? What’s your favorite crockpot dish? I’ll be sharing more, so let me know what else you want to learn how to make delicious, easy, and (of course) gluten free!