How does shredded beef in a rich, flavorful sauce sound?  This Caribbean dish has roots in the region’s Spanish influence, specifically from the Canary Islands. Ropa Vieja is known as the national dish of Cuba and Puerto Rico also has a famous variant. The beauty of Ropa Vieja is in braising the beef in a rich sofrito, then shredding the beef into the sauce before adding sauteed peppers and onions along with briny green olives and cilantro. My variant is a bit different – an experiment to see if I can replicate the braised results using sous vide. How do you think I did?  You will have to read the results below!

Prep the water bath to 155 degrees F. Salt and pepper the beef pieces on all sides. In a skillet over High/Medium High heat, add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom. When shimmering and just beginning to smoke, add the beef, searing on each side for approximately 1 minute before removing to a plate.

Can you hear the sizzle!

And smell that delicious browning beef!

Lower the heat to Medium/Medium High and add the diced onions and diced peppers.

Saute the vegetables until fragrant and beginning to soften, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. A slight caramelization is OK and adds a depth of flavor.

Add the garlic and 1/2 the cilantro, cook for 1 minute or so until fragrant. Add the anchovy paste, 4 ounces of tomato sauce, cumin, and oregano, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes until the tomato sauce thickens.

Add the chicken broth, stirring to combine and remove from the heat. Allow the sauce (a sofrito of sorts) to cool before spooning it into a recloseable bag with a valve. Add the beef and any accumulated juices, nestling the beef into the sauce before removing as much air as possible before closing the bag. Using a small vacuum pump over the valve, vacuum the contents until a slight amount of liquid seeps out. If using a regular recloseable bag, be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing. Clean off bag before placing in water bath.

Set timer for 6 hours (minimum) or up to 18 hours (maximum), depending on the cut of beef used.

When the cooking is complete, remove bag from the water bath.
Remove the beef to a large bowl (reserving the cooking liquid) and using 2 forks, shred/pull it. Set it aside.

In the now clean skillet over Medium-High heat, add remaining canola oil.
When the oil shimmers, add the sliced onions and peppers and cook until slightly softened approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Again, a slight caramelization is great for flavor.

Add the sliced garlic and remaining cilantro, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the remaining tomato sauce and cook until thickened, approximately 2 minutes. Add the reserved cooking liquid and increase heat to reduce and thicken the sauce. Reduce the heat to Medium and add the shredded beef and olives, stirring to combine and heat through, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar before serving. Garnish with remaining cilantro, if desired.

I served this dish with yellow rice, but it is great with tortillas too. The flavors were rich and robust, exactly how it should be. So I am calling this experiment a success!

Enjoy!