Ropa Vieja

• 2 lbs beef flank steak – or chuck roast or skirt steak
• Diamond kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• ¹/₄ c olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp Accent (optional)
• ¹/₂ c dry white wine
• 1 c beef or chicken broth
• 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 T tomato paste (optional)
• 3/4 c pimiento or manzanilla Spanish olives, sliced 
• 1-2 T red wine vinegar
• ¹/₄ c chopped parsley
• White rice and black beans (ideally Colonel Font’s black beans – but canned black beans work too) for serving

Generously season the beef with salt and pepper, using about 1 tsp Diamond kosher salt per pound of beef and generous amounts of pepper.

In a large pot over high heat, warm the oil. Cook the beef, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate.

In the same pot over medium heat, cook the onion and peppers, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, until caramelized. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, and Accent. Cook, stirring, about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the wine and broth and tomatoes and tomato paste and bring to a simmer.

Return the beef to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 2 to 3 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.

Transfer the beef to a plate and shred. Return the shredded beef to the sauce.

Stir in the olives. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes to thicken.

Stir in the vinegar and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Serve over rice with black beans along side.