Ropa Vieja (Old Cloth) (Cuban)

An email from my old and dear friend Juan Antonio Blanco has prompted me to post this recipe, The recipe was given to me by Vera Borodowsky, the mother of Juan Antonio's wife, Marlene Moleon. Vera prepared this dish on one of her visits to Ottawa from Havana.

2 pounds beef brisket or other stewing meat – in one hunk

6-8 cloves garlic, minced

juice of 1 lemon

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 sweet green pepper, diced

small can (about 8 ounces) of tomato sauce

¼ cup red wine

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• In a heavy pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. 
• Add the beef, cover, and simmer until the beef is tender, about 2 hours. 
• Remove the beef from the stock, saving the stock for another use. 
• When the meat is cool enough to handle, shred it. 
• In a heavy frying pan, heat the oil and sauté the chopped onion together with the minced garlic. 
• Add the chopped green pepper and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. 
• Add the tomato sauce, the lemon juice and the wine and mix well. 
• Add the shredded meat and cook for another 5 minutes, until the meat is heated through. 
• Serve with white rice.