Slow-Cooked Ropa Vieja

The name of this traditional Caribbean dish means old clothes, partly because of the way the beef shreds into tatters. You’ll get the right texture by cooking the beef until it’s so tender that it quite literally falls apart. Serve it on white rice and black beans with diced avocado as a garnish and corn tortillas and lime wedges on the side.

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  2 (14.5 oz.) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes with juice
  
  


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  3 medium yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped (about 3 cups)
  
  


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  3 medium shallots, thinly sliced (1-1/2 cups)
  
  


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  3/4 cup chopped pitted green olives
  
  


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  2 Tbs. drained, rinsed, and chopped capers
  
  


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  2 tsp. minced garlic
  
  


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  2 tsp. dried oregano
  
  


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  2 tsp. ground cumin
  
  


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  1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  
  


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  Kosher salt
  
  


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  2 dried bay leaves
  
  


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  3 lb. flank steak
  
  


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  1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  
  


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  2 Tbs. sherry vinegar
  
  

In a 6-quart slow cooker, stir together the tomatoes, bell pepper, shallots, olives, capers, garlic, oregano, cumin, black pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt, and the bay leaves.

Cut the flank steak in half with the grain, then cut each of these halves into thirds across the grain. Nestle the pieces of beef into the sauce.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the beef can be shredded easily.

Discard the bay leaves. Shred the meat in the cooker with two forks, then stir in the cilantro, vinegar, and salt to taste.