Reviewed: Nov. 3, 2009

I love this recipe. I tried it once in the skillet and it took way too long and the meat didn't get tender enough, definitely not after 30 minutes, but if you use a crock pot it is absolutely perfect. I've borrowed two extra crock pots and am attempting to make it for my entire class tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes!

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Reviewer:

ErinnElizabethh

Reviewed: Oct. 19, 2007

The husband and I both really liked this dish. I made it on a cold rainy day for the second time last week, served it over a bowl of rice and it was a nice hardy meal for him after being out in the cold all day. I can understand why some people don't love this dish...it probably isn't for everyone but we both love coconut milk when used this way. If your a fan of coconut curries I think you'll like this too. (I did add a touch of curry powder well.) I think it has a nice balance of sweet and savory just be careful with the amount of sugar...I just eyeballed the measurement this time and I think it was a tad too much. I also used a bolder wine this time too which helped with a darker color; more brown than gray as some others have said.

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Reviewer:

jennifer c.

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Caruthers, California, USA

Living In: San Francisco, California, USA

Reviewed: Jun. 16, 2007

This was very tasty, and not that sweet as others were saying. Use coconut milk, not cream and you will be fine. Use half sugar to be 100% safe. The color of the dish, I would agree, is not the most attractive. The taste is very flavourful, rich and a bit unusual. It was great experiment, and we don't have any leftovers, but I won't cook it again - too unusual taste.

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Reviewer:

Olya

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: May 19, 2007

The allspice in this recipe was way too overpowering. I didn't enjoy the flavor and definately didn't save the leftovers. My kids did not like it at all and I won't be making this again.

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Reviewer:

Cookin' Tammy

Reviewed: May 6, 2007

I thought this was OK, but my husband and 5 year old son were put off by the color (gray) and how very sweet it was (hubby). I put everything except the sour cream in the crock pot and let it go all day, then adding the sour cream when ready to serve. The bonus is that the meat falls apart and there is no need to shread it. I did add some garlic powder at the end to help cut the sweetness. Bottom line: with two thumbs down out of three, I will not be making this for my family again - I can't eat that many leftovers myself. I prefer my own ropa vieja recipe made with beef or chicken.

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Reviewer:

crcowley

Reviewed: Apr. 21, 2007

This was quick and fun to make and the taste was not what I had originally expected - it was better. Thanks.

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Reviewer:

the3harters

Reviewed: Apr. 21, 2007

This was good but not knock my socks off good. It tasted a little flat--something was missing. As one of the reviewers said, the color is a little unappetizing. I didn't find it too sweet. Other reviewers probably felt it was too sweet because they may have used cream of coconut instead of coconut milk.

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Reviewer:

tish

Reviewed: Apr. 18, 2007

Flavor is wonderful! But it looks awful. (What do you expect of ropa vieja ('old clothes')? I used my crock pot. Should have cut the meat across the grain into smaller sections before shredding. It was stringy. My husband and I liked it, but wouldn't try serving it to guests!

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Reviewer:

Aunt Mary

Reviewed: Apr. 16, 2007

I made this recipe in a slow cooker as others have suggested and I really didn't care for it. I didn't think it was too sweet... I just didn't like the flavor though I do generally like Caribbean food. My husband thought it was pretty good but he heavily seasoned it with chipotle sauce so it wasn't "true" to the recipe.

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