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La Nueva Ropa Vieja

La Nueva Ropa Vieja, A Cuban classic.

This slow-cooker recipe doesn't require cooking anything on top of the stove first.

The trick is knowing which types of recipes slow cook to perfection without any prior searing or sauteing.

Simply throw everything into the crock, walk away and return home after a long day to a comforting, amazing dinner.

A traditional Ropa Vieja spends several hours on top of the stove, but the dish meets our requirements for an easy slow-cooker transformation:

It's brothy, essentially a stew at heart.

It's seasoned aggressively, meaning the recipe doesn't rely on a browned-beef flavor.

This dish is comforting to the max with its thin broth seasoned by tomatoes, green pepper and spices.

It's called Ropa Vieja, or “old clothes,” because the beef is simmered to tender perfection and then shredded, making it look like rags. We're calling our version La Nueva Ropa Vieja (New Old Clothes), and although it's not the original dish of Cuban grandmothers, it comes pretty darn close.

Be sure to freeze the leftovers to use in Beefy Tortilla Soup.

Leftover Ropa Vieja makes great start-over tortilla soup Beefy Tortilla Soup

Serve La Nueva Ropa Vieja with a tossed salad and purchased corn muffins.

La Nueva Ropa Vieja

Makes 4 generous servings, with 5 cups leftover beef mixture and broth

• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large onion (for about 1 cup slices)
• 2 pounds skirt steak or flank steak (see note)
• 1 red bell pepper (for about 1 cup pieces)
• 1 green bell pepper (for about 1 cup pieces)
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes seasoned with garlic and olive oil (see note)
• 2 cups cooked rice, for serving

Put the tomato sauce, water, bay leaves, vinegar, garlic, cumin, salt and black pepper into the slow-cooker pot. Stir to combine. Peel the onion and cut it into quarters. Thinly slice the onion quarters, and add them to the pot. Place the beef over the onions, and spoon some of the liquid over the meat. (If you are using skirt steak or flank steak, there will be several thin pieces, and they will overlap in the pot.)

Rinse the bell peppers and discard the seeds and membranes. Cut the peppers into quarters, thinly slice them, and add the pieces to the pot. Pour the diced tomatoes with their juice evenly on top. Cover the pot and cook on low until the meat is so tender that it practically falls apart, about 8 hours if using skirt or flank steak or 10 hours if using sirloin or chuck.

About 20 minutes before serving, cook the rice.

Before serving, remove the beef and vegetables from the slow cooker to a large serving bowl. Use two forks to pull the beef into shreds. There should be some cooking juices in the bowl, but if not, add about 1/2 cup juices. Stir to mix the beef and vegetables. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve all but 2 cups of the beef-vegetable mixture over hot rice.

To store the leftovers for Beefy Tortilla Soup: Refrigerate the remaining 2 cups of the beef mixture in a large covered storage container. Pour all of the cooking juices (just over 3 cups) into a separate container and refrigerate overnight to let any fat rise to the top. Discard the fat from the broth, and then add the remaining broth to the beef-vegetable mixture. Freeze for up to 1 month (or the mixture may be refrigerated for up to 3 days). Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, or use the microwave according to the manufacturer's defrosting instructions.

Note: Sirloin steak or chuck roast can also be used. The exact seasoning for the diced tomatoes doesn't matter as long as you choose a type that includes garlic. Petite diced tomatoes and no-salt-added varieties also work.

Start to finish: 10 minutes preparation; 8 to 10 hours in slow cooker; 3 minutes to shred beef

Per serving: 343 calories (30 percent from fat), 11 g fat (5 g saturated), 56 mg cholesterol, 26 g protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 631 mg sodium.

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