The Best Cuban Ropa Vieja

This Cuban Ropa Vieja features mouthwatering heaps of succulent and juicy shredded meat served with black beans and rice the whole family will love.

Ropa Vieja is the national dish of Cuba and one of my favorite menu choices at the Columbia Restaurant in Tampa, Florida. Beef flank steak is the traditional protein of choice, while others prefer chuck roast. For my wild game version of this Cuban Ropa Vieja, I used deer shanks slow cooked until meltingly tender.

Cooking Deer Shanks Is Easy!

I have a real love for slow cooked deer shanks. They may be a tough cut of meat, but every novice cook can make it fall-off-the-bone tender with the help of a slow cooker. Deer shanks are very forgiving so it’s actually a very simple cut to cook. You cannot overcook them! Leave it in for an hour too long, and the meat is still succulent and juicy.

And if you pull it out and the meat isn’t fork tender, just give it a little more time. You'll get there.

Important Tips For Cooking Deer Shanks

There are two very important tips I have when using deer shanks in any recipes on this website.

#1 Be sure the deer shanks are cut into a size that will easily fit in either a Dutch oven or slow cooker. I do all my own butchering and cut my shanks so they are between 4 to 6 inches long.

#2 Brown that deer shank before placing it in the slow cooker! Browning is the key flavor base for any protein that’s slow cooked in a braising liquid.

Browning Meat

Contrary to what you've heard time and again, browning meat does NOT seal in juices! What you are doing when browning meat is creating a tremendous amount of flavor through the Maillard reaction which is when a protein (an amino acid) gets together with sugar in the presence of heat. When you brown the meat you are releasing the aroma of up to 600 different flavor compounds which are extremely complex. When you don't take the step in browning meat, you miss out on all those amazing aromas of those flavor compounds. A good comparison is to think of the difference between roasted coffee beans and unroasted coffee beans. The roasted coffee beans have a much greater aroma due to the flavor compounds that are released during the roasting process.

What Are Deer Shanks?

If you’re new to deer shanks, here’s the rundown - the shanks are from the lower leg of the deer and a tough cut of meat. Because of this, deer shanks need to be slow cooked – either braised or roasted in order to break down the tough meat and soften it into succulent tenderness.

Both the meat and the marrow in the bone are full of richness that adds to the depth of flavor to every dish they go in. This makes it a perfect choice for this Cuban Ropa Vieja Slow Cooker dish.

Cuban Ropa Vieja

To make this Ropa Vieja Cuban dish we are slowly cooking the deer shanks, then adding onions, beef broth, crushed tomatoes, spices like cumin, oregano, and Sazon Goya along with Spanish green olives and red bell peppers. The term “ropa vieja” literally translates to “old clothes” in Spanish. The dish got this name because the shredded meat used in this Cuban recipe resembles torn or tattered clothing.

Ropa Vieja Ingredients

The ingredients for my wild game version of this Cuban Ropa Vieja Slow Cooker recipe is as follows:

• Deer Shanks: I use one whole deer shank (from one leg) but you can also use shanks from an elk, antelope, caribou. If you don't have access to wild game, feel free to get beef shanks from your local grocery store butcher. Just be sure the shanks are cut to a length of 4 to 6 inches so they will easily fit in the slow cooker.
• Spices: Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, and the important ingredient of Sazon Goya.
• Bay Leaves: These impart great flavor as they simmer with the meat and broth in the slow cooker.
• Broth: If you don’t have beef broth, you can substitute chicken broth or vegetable broth or even water.
• Crushed Tomatoes: You’ll need one cup of crushed tomatoes to help thicken the sauce.
• Vegetables: Yellow, white onion, or red onion and a jar of already roasted red bell peppers.
• Garlic: You can cut six to eight peeled garlic cloves in half depending on how much garlic you like or make it easy on yourself and use a couple of tablespoons of minced garlic.
• Olives: Slice a half cup of pitted Spanish green olives.
• Cilantro: If you don’t like cilantro, don’t worry – it’s optional!

How to Make Ropa Vieja

1. Season the shanks all over with salt and black pepper. Then heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil in a large skillet on a stovetop burner over medium-high heat. Add shanks and fry for about 5 minutes until golden brown on all sides.

2. Transfer the browned deer shanks to a slow cooker.

3. In the same skillet you used to brown the deer shanks, add the chopped onion and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add the minced garlic and sauté another 1 minute. Transfer the onion and garlic to the slow cooker with the deer shanks.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the beef broth and crushed tomatoes with ¼ cup of the juice from the jar of the Spanish green olives and add this mixture to the slow cooker with the other seasonings including the bay leaves. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 5 to 6 hours, until the meat easily shreds with tongs or a fork. Discard the bones and any undesirable tendons or fat.

5. Add the Spanish green olives and roasted red peppers to the meat mixture in the slow cooker and stir until well combined.

6. Serve this Ropa Vieja with rice and black beans. Garnish with diced red onion and cilantro.

Proper Storage of Leftover Ropa Vieja

Fridge. Store leftover Ropa Vieja meat mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I like to make sure plenty of sauce is stored with it, to prevent it from drying out.

Freezer. Ropa Vieja can also be frozen. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

Reheat. The easiest way to reheat this dish is in the microwave, but you can also warm it up in a small saucepan on the stovetop. Be sure to keep some of the sauce with it, to prevent it from drying out.

More Deer Shank Recipes

If you are looking for more great ideas on how to cook with those deer shanks in your freezer, be sure and check out these family favorites:

• Easy Pizza Roll Ups
• Deer BBQ Sandwiches with Pimento Cheese
• Shawarma Spiced Deer Shanks
• Venison Rogan Josh
• Venison Shank Frito Pie
• Venison Tikka Masala

Come Deer Hunting in North Dakota

If you are headed our way for North Dakota deer season, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.

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