Ropa Vieja Tacos

Ropa Vieja Tacos

If only tacos grew on trees… we’d still pick this one first.
Ropa Vieja Tacos—slow-braised beef, bright pickled onions, a hit of queso, and just enough spice to make Tuesday feel like a holiday. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 ½ cups tomato sauce
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 bell peppers, sliced
• 1 poblano pepper, sliced
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced
• 1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste (Optional)
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 6" white corn tortillas
• 1 oz. pickled red onions
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 4 oz. shredded red cabbage
• 1 Tbsp hot honey

Ropa Vieja:  

1. Cut flank steak in half across the grain. Mix salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Season both sides generously with the salt mixture.
   
2. Heat olive oil in a pot over high heat. Add steaks and cook until outsides are well browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove steaks to a plate.
   
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add red onion, garlic, and more of the salt seasoning. Cook and stir until starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cloves, and allspice. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Pour in white wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth.
   
4. Return beef and accumulated juices to the pot. Season with salt and add bay leaves. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beef is almost fork-tender, not falling apart, about 2 hours.
   
5. Remove pot from heat and let stew cool to room temperature, at least 45 minutes. Refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight, for best results.
   
6. Remove beef to a plate and set stew over medium heat. Tear beef along the grain into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-wide shreds; place back in the stew. Add bell peppers, poblanos, smoked paprika, capers, olives, and sugar. Stir together and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until peppers are soft and meat is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat, remove bay leaves, and stir in cilantro.

Assembly: 

1. Shred ropa vieja and keep warm until plating.
2. Drain liquid from pickled red onions. 
3. Wash and shred red cabbage. To enhance flavor, add in sriracha hot honey, lime juice, olive oil and salt/pepper to taste. 
4. Toast corn tortillas on a hot skillet and place onto a plate. Top with ropa vieja, shredded cabbage, and pickled onion. Add cotija cheese as desired..