Name: Ropa Vieja
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 3 pounds chuck roast, brisket, or flank steak; 2 tablespoons (or more if using flank steak) extra-virgin olive oil; 2 large onions, chopped; 2 red bell peppers, chopped; 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal or 3½ teaspoons Morton kosher salt; 8 garlic cloves, finely grated; ½ cup dry white wine; 4 teaspoons sweet paprika; 1 tablespoon dried Mexican or Italian oregano; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes; 2 bay leaves; ¾ cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives, halved crosswise; 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar; Chopped cilantro, white rice, maduros, and black beans (for serving)

Image may contain Dish Food Meal and Plant

Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Judy Mancini

Typically this dish is made with flank steak, which is lean and has long, shreddy fibers, and is how the dish earned the name “old clothes.” It’s the traditional choice, but we find it can be a bit tough, even after it’s braised for a long time. We prefer chuck roast for its fat, tenderness, and richness, but at the end of the day, this will be good with whatever you have on hand. Serve with maduros (fried sweet plantains) and Cuban-style black beans.

Recipe notes

Steak With Cherry Tomato Chutney

A steak dinner that’s more about the sauce than the meat.

Green Chile Puttanesca Pork Chops

The heat of pickled chiles brings a welcome zing that integrates well with the salty elements of puttanesca and acts like a counterweight to rich pork chops.

Black Bean Bolognese

Rich and funky black bean garlic sauce, a pantry favorite in Chinese cuisine, provides depth and flavor to this weeknight riff on ragù Bolognese.

Sheet-Pan Chicken Souvlaki

Tender, juicy chicken skewers are possible in the oven—especially when roasted alongside spiced chickpeas and finished with fresh tomatoes and salty feta.

Meatball Tagine

Warming harissa and cinnamon, briny olives, and sweet dried fruit make up the flavorful base for this weeknight-friendly take on tagine.

One-Pot Chicken Thighs With Cilantro Rice and Beans

This one-pot dinner cooks chicken thighs directly on top of a bed of flavorful cilantro rice studded with black beans for a complete dinner.

Quick Butter-Braised Tomatoes and Dumplings

Store-bought dumplings, fresh tomatoes, butter, and soy sauce simmer away for dinner in a flash.

Spiced Meatballs With Golden Raisin–Pistachio Pilaf

Spiced, tender meatballs get cooked atop a bed of rice pilaf speckled with pistachios and plump golden raisins in this quick, one-pot dinner.