Reviewed: Apr. 5, 2009

this was so delicious! i made this two weeks ago and i'm still drooling thinking about it. i tried to take as much advice as possible from other reviewers. i used chuck roast instead of flank steak (use more than two pounds to allow for size reduction when fat cooks off), and the night before i rubbed it in a chimichurri paste i bought at world market, salted it all over, and wrapped in saran wrap overnight. when i prepared it the next day, i used the ingredients as they were originally listed, but added a whole garlic instead of just a couple cloves, and eliminated the cilantro (only because i didn't have any). just under an hour before serving, i added more cumin and a packet of sazon goya (you can find this in the hispanic food section of the grocery store). when finished, i shredded and served on top of black beans and white rice. this smells so great while it's cooking you will be dying of anticipation waiting for supper to start. i can't wait to make this again!

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erindesign09

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Reviewed: Mar. 30, 2009

This was very good (soooo tender and juicy) but...I agree it did need some more seasoning. I added 4 oz. can diced green chiles, garlic powder, and some Adobo seasoning, and it still needed somethin' I can't put my finger on. I do recommend trying this, its worth it!!

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*m*

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Miami, Florida, USA

Living In: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA

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Reviewed: Mar. 23, 2009

Made this for my in-laws and everyone loved it. Took the advice of other reviewers and added Goya Sazon packets towards the end.

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Julie

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Reviewed: Mar. 17, 2009

My husband asks for this for his birthday dinner every year. I made it with chuck roast...more flavorful and more tender. I served it w/ black beans and rice. Delish!

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lorlak

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Bay City, Michigan, USA

Living In: Gainesville, Georgia, USA

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Reviewed: Mar. 11, 2009

This recipe is awesome! Ive made on several occassions for family and friends. Everyone loves it. I did add packet of Sazon and more garlic to the recipe like other member suggested. Add black beans and rice on the side along with sweet planatins and you have the best cuban dish. Thanks so much for sharing.

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gasselz

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Reviewed: Mar. 3, 2009

I *love* Ropa Vieja ... and although I always swear that I'm going to order something different when I go to a Cuban restaurant - I never do. This is really good. The recipe would be wonderful as is - but I just amended it a little for my own tastes. I don't remember having Ropa Vieja without green olives in it - so I did add them. I also used the olive juice in place of the white vinegar - since that's basically what it is, anyway. The other thing I did was to increase the onions. I don't think that I "doubled" them, exactly - but probably close to it. I'm adding this recipe to my files!

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emellgee

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Reviewed: Feb. 27, 2009

Pretty good, but I need a bit more spice. Next time I'll add some sazon & maybe some more cumin.

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lmcirig

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Washingtonville, New York, USA

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Reviewed: Feb. 20, 2009

This was awesome! I followed the advice of other reviews and used more garlic (5 cloves) and it was delicious! I served it with arepas instead of tortillas, which provided a nice balance to the tomatoe flavor in this dish. I cooked on low for 6 hours, shredded the meat, then coooked one more hour. Definitely will make again and again and again!

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Wolf

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Reviewed: Feb. 9, 2009

This recipe was very easy to follow. I added about three more cloves of garlic and some extra cumin. In the future I also think I would add some capers and black olives. The flavor was good, but I think I would follow another reviewer's suggestion next time and marinate the meat over night to really give it a fuller flavor. I cooked it for ten hours on low and the meat came out really good, not chewy at all. My husband loved it! Thanks!

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sherry lee

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: El Paso, Texas, USA

Living In: Austin, Texas, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 26, 2009

Excellent!! I used chuck roast instead of flank. Cooked on low for about 10 hours (overnight). Served over rice. Will be making this again for sure, next time I might spice it up a bit as well.

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sixkyej

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA

Living In: San Diego, California, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 25, 2009

This is a GREAT and very authentic tasting recipe!! I was skeptical that it could be done, but was anxious to try and recreate my favorite cuban restaurant dish in my crock pot. Amazing!! It tasted EXACTLY like the dish I always order. The only adjustments I made were 1) doubled the garlic; 2) omitted the cilantro; 3) substituted red wine vinegar for the white vinegar. Served with rice and black beans and the whole family was thrilled!!

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jdjd2004

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Reviewed: Jan. 9, 2009

This dish could not be easier to achieve truly Cuban paradise! I fell in love with this dish when visiting my sister down south but could not find a substitute up north! I am SO glad to find this easy recipe! i also upped the garlic and onions (love em!) and the result was fabulous! Even my "meat and potatoes" fiance had seconds and thirds!

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Beth James, Midwest Cooking

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Des Moines, Iowa, USA

Living In: Ankeny, Iowa, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 23, 2008

I thought this was very good served over white rice. I am still shocked at how tender the steak was; I ususally hate anything involving flank steak aka London Broil. I added hot sauce for spice and will probably throw in some chopped hot peppers next time. Delicious and ridiculously easy--I set the slow cooker to low before leaving for work and it was ready to shred when I got home! EDIT 10/13/2009: I made this again tonight and it was even better than the first time with a couple of additions: I threw in a can of sliced jalapenos and a can of Rotel chopped green chiles. Wow, what a kick! The heat may not be for everyone and I don't know how authentic it is with the addition of the peppers, but it was superb with the black beans, rice and some lime wedges. One MILLION stars! :-)

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DEADGIRRRL

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: New York, New York, USA

Living In: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 31, 2008

Thank you! Thank you! This is awesome! I can't wait to make this recipe for my Dominican mother-in-law who pities her son for living with someone who can't cook anything like what he grew up with. He loved the dish and I know she will too. I just changed a couple things. I rubbed the flank steak with garlic salt before browning, added extra chopped garlic, substituted a beef bouillon cube with vegetable broth instead of the beef broth, and added green olives. I served it with rice, beans, and roasted sweet potatoes. It was absolutely fantastic!

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Jess

Cooking Level: Beginning

Home Town: Seattle, Washington, USA

Living In: South Bend, Indiana, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 18, 2008

I found this recipe about a year and a half ago on All Recipes and have been making it ever since. The first time I made this, I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect as is. However, I have changed it up a few times for personal preferences this is what works for my family the best: I normally use a decently sized roast and combine the cumin with some oregano, salt, pepper and paprika and use it as a rub on the meat, which smells fantastic when you sear each side. After that I throw it in the slow cooker with the onion, garlic (normally around 4 cloves, love garlic!), handfull of choped up cilantro, one choped (deseeded) jalapeno, 1 29oz can crushed tomato, 1 29oz can tomato sauce, a dash of white vinegar and a dash of sugar. Then, after it's done cooking, there is a nice sauce left over to scoop over the top. My family asks me to make this recipe for them all the time, and it's just so easy (and GLUTEN FREE!).

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Megs

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Mclean, Virginia, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 9, 2008

I used boneless chuck and slow cooked for 6 hours. It was not easy to shred and it was sorta bland. I was so looking foward to this and I was disappointed.

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MaryAnne aka Anne's daughter

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Queens, New York, USA

Living In: Clinton, Connecticut, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 6, 2008

Excellent! I used flap meat instead and it turned out just as good. Cooked in slow cooker for 6 hours and meat was very tender. The sauce was a bit bland so I added some seasonings (garlic salt, pepper, etc) and it turned out great

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The Q's

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Lakewood, California, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 5, 2008

I thought it was just ok. I tried a different cut of meat, so maybe that is why I didn't like it more.

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BBELL1234

Home Town: Dallas, Texas, USA

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Reviewed: Sep. 28, 2008

This is a great recipe, but it definitely needs the two packets of sazon during the final hour. Its best if you can make it the day before and let it cool in the fridge so the flavors combine. I like to add extra onion. I added extra pepper one time and it came out with too much of a pepper flavor, so keep it to the reocmmended amount. Delicioso!

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