Want to take your taste buds on a trip to Latin America? More specifically Cuba? Ropa Vieja will fly you there, then slap your taste buds silly with joy.

Ropa Vieja is literally “Old Clothes” in Spanish and is considered to be a national dish of Cuba. Don’t let the name stop you from trying this fantastic dish.

The essential ingredients are tender shredded beef with sliced onions and colorful bell peppers braised in a flavorful umami tomato sauce.

Are you with me? All right, let’s do it. Turn on some salsa or rhumba and let’s head to Cuba!

How do you make a low carb, keto friendly Ropa Vieja in the Instant Pot?

This recipe makes a total of 6 single-servings. Each serving comes out to be 340 Calories, 22.6g Fat, 5.9g Net Carbs, and 25.8g Protein.

First Cooking Cycle:

• 4 tablespoons beef fat/tallow (51 g/1.8 oz) *You may substitute avocado oil or ghee. Each has its variation in taste. Beef fat is best in my opinion but may be hard to find.

• 1.5 pounds flank steak (680 g/24 oz)

You could substitute chuck steak, but this would diminish the “Old Clothes” appearance of the dish. (unless you have a butcher cut the chuck a certain way which displays the grain of meat in the longest possible fashion.)

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (9 g/0.3 oz)

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin (6 g)

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano (3 g)

• 2 teaspoons salt, himalayan (pink). (12 g) May substitute any good quality salt.

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper (2 g)

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (2 g)

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (0.5 g)

• 2 bay leaves

• 1.5 cups diced fresh tomato (230 g/8.1 oz)

• 1/4 cup water (59 ML/2 oz)

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (59 ML/2 oz)

Second Cooking Cycle:

• 1 cup pitted green olives (160 g/5.6 oz). You can slice them if you prefer.

• 1 medium green bell pepper (119 g/4.2 oz) sliced into strips, fajita style

• 1 medium red bell pepper (119 g/4.2 oz) sliced into strips, fajita style

• 1 medium onion (110 g/3.9 oz) sliced

To Serve:

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (30 g/1 oz). One heaping tablespoon for each of the six servings.

• 6 lime wedges (42 g/1.5 oz). One wedge = 1/6 of a two-inch diameter lime.

First Cooking Cycle:

1. Place beef fat/tallow into a 6-quart pressure cooker.

Press the “Sauté” function key. The digital display will state High, 30 mins.

Use the “Adjust” button to cycle the LED display to “More” which increases the saute temperature to a level suitable for browning meat.

When the LED display reads “Hot,” place flank steak in and brown each side 3-4 minutes per side.

2. While the meat is browning, prepare and measure all ingredients as listed in the First Cooking Phase.

3. After the meat has finished browning, add the garlic, spices, bay leaves, tomatoes, water, and apple cider vinegar as listed in the First Cooking Cycle ingredients. Stir through for one minute.

4. Place lid on the pot and lock into position. Steam releasing handle should be in the “Venting” position when doing this.

After locking, adjust the steam releasing handle so that it is pointing to “Sealing.”

Press the “Manual” (High Pressure) button and set to 40 minutes.

Second Cooking Cycle:

1. Prepare and measure all ingredients listed in the Second Cooking Cycle and For Serving.

2. After the pot has completed the 40-minute cooking cycle, allow it to sit for an additional 10 minutes.

This period allows some of the pressure to release naturally and further cooks the ingredients.

After the 10-minute resting period, release the pressure valve quickly.

Remove the lid after all pressure is expelled through the valve.

3. Shred beef in pot. Use tongs, forks, or whatever you got to make the meat into “threads.”

4. Add the olives, bell pepper strips, and sliced onion to the pot.

5. Place lid back on the pot and lock into position.

Adjust the steam releasing handle so that it is pointing to “Sealing.”

Press the “Manual” (High Pressure) button and set to 5 minutes.

6. Once the 5-minute timer has completed, immediately release the pressure valve.

Remove the lid after all pressure is expelled.

7. Taste the Ropa Vieja. Add additional salt, pepper, or apple cider vinegar according to your taste.

To Serve:

Serve each portion with a lime wedge and one heaping tablespoon of chopped parsley.

Optional – Serve with cooked cauliflower rice.

Boo-yah! Enjoy you some “Old Clothes.”

Why is the dish named Ropa Vieja (Old Clothes)?

Ropa Vieja is Spanish for  “Old Clothes.” Some will say the dish is named after its resemblance to a pot of shredded old rags. I get it, but I prefer another tale.

All versions of the story that I have come across are similar. Here is the embellished version that I tend to imagine.

There once was a man. This unfortunate man had fallen upon hard times. His family had run out of food and had not eaten in several days. He had no money to buy food.

This man, as most men do,  loved his wife and two young children deeply.

It broke the man’s heart to think about his family going hungry. He could not bear the thought of it. One morning, in desperation, the man shredded some of his old clothes and threw them into a pot.

The man then began to cook these clothes. As he slowly stirred the bubbling pot, he closed his eyes and began to pray. He focused all of the love that he possessed for his family into that prayer.

The man stirred the pot for so long that his arms began to tremble, but he kept on with eyes closed in prayer. He would not stop.

Several hours later, he felt a small tap on his leg. He looked down to see his young daughter staring up at him. She was so small and frail, but also so beautiful. She also had a smile on her face that made her glow.

The man thought to himself, “What a beautiful soul, this child has. She has had no food for days. And she is smiling. How is it even possible?”

At that moment she pointed to the pot and her smile widened. The man looked wearily at the pot. He felt embarrassed that his daughter found him doing something so silly.

But then as his eyes focused. He realized that something had happened — a miracle. He looked upon a large pot of bubbling hearty stew filled with shredded meat and vegetables.

That evening as he sat around the dinner table with his family, the man smiled at his wife and children. He then said a silent prayer of thanks for the delicious meal that everyone was enjoying – “Old Clothes.”

The story captures the essence of what Ropa Vieja and in general, cooking,  are both about – the relationship between food, family, and love.

From Where does Ropa Vieja Originate?

It is evident that Ropa Vieja has Spanish origins. But, as is the case with most recipes, the exact origins of a dish can always be contested.

Most information indicates a background in the Canary Islands, a Spanish group of islands off the coast of northwestern Africa. It remains today a staple of Canarian cuisine.

During Spanish colonialism, settlers brought over their favorite foods. Among them was Ropa Vieja. The settlers modified the dish into its current forms.

And while Cuba designates Ropa Vieja as a national dish, it is also very prevalent in other parts of Latin America especially Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. This prevalence is in part due to a history of heavy Canarian emigration.

What is Cuban Ropa Vieja? How is Keto Ropa Vieja different?

In the simplest of terms, Cuban Ropa Vieja is a beef stew. Most of the traditional recipes use flank steak for the cut of beef.  The meat is slow-cooked or pressure cooked. Once tender, it is then shredded.

Other ingredients commonly added sometime during the cooking process are onions, bell peppers, garlic, green olives, cumin, salt, and some tomato mixture. Very simple and yet very tasty. It is common to serve the stew with white rice, a side of black beans and fried plantains.

For this keto friendly version, I adjusted the ratio of onion and bell peppers to lighten up the net carbs. The dish can stand alone, or you can serve cauliflower rice on the side. A half cup of cooked cauli-rice would add 3.1 net carbs, so you’re looking at 9.0 net carbs in total for both.

This recipe is inspired by Cuban recipes. With that said, I did take the liberty with the addition of some spices to complement the essential spice which is cumin.

I also served the dish with parsley and a squeeze from a lime. These adjustments add a burst of freshness and citrus which compliments the savoriness of the stew. They also compensate for a slight loss of flavor after decreasing the amount of onion and bell peppers that would typically be used for a non-keto version.

Kitchen Tools for Making Keto Instant Ropa Vieja

Instant Pot – I used a 6 quart IP for this recipe. Other pressure cookers should work as well. I do not own any other type of pressure cooker. Therefore, I would only be guessing as to adjustments on cooking times.

Kitchen Scale – (optional) Although it is optional, it is one of the most useful tools you can have if you’re trying to track your macros while on keto.

Pro Tip: Weigh the empty removable pot insert of Instant Pot. Weigh any pot or pan that you regularly use to cook with for that matter. Record these weights for later reference.

Once you have finished a dish, you subtract the empty weight from the total weight of the cooked food and pot. You then divide that amount by the number of servings recipe uses. This process gives you the most accurate portions.

These measured portions will allow you to best keep track of your macro nutritional intake.

Knife – A sharp knife for chopping the vegetables.

Cutting Board

Measuring Spoons

Measuring Cup(s)

How Long to Store Your Ropa Vieja in the Refrigerator or Freezer

Ropa Vieja is a stew that tastes even better the next day. Refrigerate in a covered airtight container(s) within two hours of cooking. It keeps in your refrigerator for up to four days.

If kept frozen at 0 degrees Fahrenheit, it will last indefinitely. For best quality, consume before four months after placing in the freezer. 

For further information on food safety: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/shared/PDF/Leftovers_and_Food_Safety.pdf

How to Freeze and Reheat Ropa Vieja

1. Chill. It is best to allow the Ropa Vieja to cool completely before freezing. You do not want to place any warm food in your freezer as it will slightly raise the temperature of items already stored.

You should expedite the process by placing your pot into an ice bath. Then, stir it every few minutes to help release the heat. Freeze within two hours of cooking.

 2. Package. Place quart-size zipper-top plastic freezer bag in a bowl or large drinking glass while cuffing top of the bag over the edge.

Place the bowl or glass on a kitchen scale to weigh your specified portion. (optional – but very convenient for tracking your macros)

Ladle soup into the bag. Expel any excess air and seal. 

Label and date the package with the macros.

Rinse and repeat.

3. Freeze. Lay the zipper-top bags flat in a single layer in the freezer.

4. Reheat. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Empty bag into a small saucepan. Reheat over medium-low heat on stove-top. Stir occasionally.

Alternatively, put on a spacesuit. Stand 100 meters away and nuke it in the microwave under defrost setting. The box of your freezer bag will specify whether it is safe for microwave use. (Spacesuit is optional.)

Have you made this recipe? Click on the stars below to give it a rating.

Did you make any adjustments to the recipe? Comment below. I’d love to hear them.