Ropa Vieja

Method

1. sear8 min
   high, dry heavy pot, 1 tbsp oil
   flank steak, both faces, until deeply browned — the fond left behind is the only roasted flavor in the dish, since everything after this is a wet cook
2. simmer120 min
   barely trembling, covered
   seared beef + water + carrot + bay leaf + 0.5 tsp salt. Hold it below a boil: a rolling boil squeezes the muscle fibers tight and the meat shreds into dry threads instead of moist ones. Done when a fork twisted into the grain separates it with no resistance
3. rest10 min
   in the liquid, off heat
   beef in its broth, then lift out and strain the liquid — reserve 1.5 cups and discard the carrot and bay. Cooling it slightly in the broth keeps the outer layer from drying while you work
4. prep8 min
   still warm
   pull the beef apart with two forks along the grain into long strands — this is the 'old clothes' the dish is named for. Shred it warm; once it cools the collagen sets and the strands break short instead of pulling long
5. saute12 min
   medium, 1 tbsp oil
   onion + bell pepper strips + 0.5 tsp salt, until slumped and sweet at the edges but still holding their shape — they must stay visible strips in the finished dish, so stop well short of collapse. + garlic for the last minute only, or it scorches in the dry pan
6. caramelize3 min
   medium-high
   + tomato paste + cumin + oregano + smoked paprika, stirred constantly until the paste darkens from red to brick and stops smelling raw — this is where the sauce gets its depth
7. deglaze4 min
   high, until nearly dry
   + dry white wine, scraping the browned bits off the bottom, and cook off the harsh alcohol before the tomato goes in
8. stew30 min
   low, partly covered
   + crushed tomato + shredded beef + 1.5 cups reserved broth. Reduce until the sauce coats the strands and no free liquid pools when you drag a spoon through — soupy ropa vieja means the shreds never absorbed the sofrito
9. season3 min
   off the boil
   + olives + capers + red wine vinegar + black pepper, then taste for salt last. The olives and capers carry their own brine, so salting before they go in is how this dish gets oversalted; the vinegar goes in at the end because its brightness cooks away in minutes