Ropa Vieja "Old Clothes"

Tonight we had Ropa Vieja for dinner, which my boys just LOVE! I'd call it a tomato-based pot roast that's shredded at the end of the cooking process.

Ropa Vieja

3-4 lbs. boneless chuck roast

1-2 T. extra virgin olive oil, Spanish style

1 c. sofrito (see below)

1 can chicken broth

1/4 c. red wine

1 tsp. cumin

1-2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

In a large dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the chuck roast in the extra virgin olive oil. Add the sofrito, chicken broth, red wine, cumin and bay leaf(ves), stirring well. Bake in a 350F oven for several hours until the meat is tender. Take 2 forks and shred the meat. Serve over hot steamed rice.

Sofrito

It's easiest to make a big batch of sofrito and then freeze it in ziploc baggies containing about 1 cup of the mixture.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil, Spanish style

2 onions, peeled and skinned, chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and skinned, minced

4 medium green peppers, chopped

8 tomatoes with skins removed, coarsely chopped

In a large dutch oven over medium-high heat, saute the chopped onions and minced garlic cloves in the extra virgin olive oil until the onion is soft and tender. Add the green peppers and saute for 3-4 minutes. Finally, add the chopped tomatoes and cook over low to medium heat for 20-30 minutes to reduce the mixture a bit. Cool before bagging and freezing.