Carne ripiada (shredded beef) is juicy, flavorful, and easy to make. Venezuela has carne mechada, Cuba has ropa vieja, and Dominican Rep. has carne ripiada, dishes that combine inexpensive beef cuts and vegetables into a flavorful, uncomplicated dish that you'll love too.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Mar 22, 2011
Why we ❤️ it
Carne ripiada (shredded beef) is an inexpensive cut of beef (flank, for example), cooked over low heat for a long time until it becomes fork tender. Some vegetables are also added to the mix.
A tasty dish with gusto dominicano to spare, it's one of my favorite ways to serve beef. It's a great dish to make with a pressure cooker or Instant Pot to reduce cooking time.
Shredded beef recipes
Carne Ripiada (Shredded Beef) is known throughout Latin America by many different names, with some variations in preparation and ingredients. The base is an inexpensive cut of beef (flank, for example), cooked over low heat for a long time until it becomes very tender. Some vegetables are also added to the mix.
Dominican carne ripiada is pretty close to its Venezuelan cousin carne mechada (carne mechada is something else in the DR), but there many other versions of shredded beef throughout Latin America. A famous one is the famous Cuban ropa vieja, which translates into "old clothes" in English (a sure entry into the Cuban version of foods with odd names). There's the Mexican salpicón, and Colombian carne desmechada.
This dish is also known as tasajo in our country.
Cooking seasoning and shredded beef.
Serving suggestions
Many side dishes go great with carne ripiada. It has a nice, rich sauce, so you can serve it with any moro rice (rice with beans); you can also serve it with some white rice (arroz blanco) and black beans (habichuelas negras guisadas). Some tostones (fried plantains), and a few slices of avocado complete a great dinner. Add some Dominican salad if you wish.
If you're looking for alternatives to rice, try some boiled yuca, or guineítos en escabeche.
Top tips
- Picking meat: For carne ripiada just any inexpensive beef cut works, as it is cooked over long enough to make it very tender. Some popular cuts are falda (flank steak or skirt steak). Shredded flank is my favorite.
- Bay leaf: Cubans love bay leaf, and it's one of the most distinctive flavors in ropa vieja, so if you want, you can add one to carne ripiada, even if it's not a traditional Dominican flavor.
- Lighter version: If you're looking for a lighter alternative, this chicken ropa vieja is fantastic.
About our recipe
The original recipe on which this one is based is my mom's. This was a dish we had frequently at home. Every Dominican home has its own version, so add and remove vegetables to suit your taste.
If you haven't tried it, do so, you, too, will become a fan.
Do you have a different way to make this dish at home? Let me know in the comments!
Recipe
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Shredded Beef Recipe (Carne Ripiada)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef flank, [0.9 kg] of (flank, shank, chuck, or skirt)
- 1 teaspoon salt, (more if needed)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground), (more if needed)
- 1 sprig of thyme, (optional)
- 1 teaspoon oregano powder
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, (peanut, soy or corn)
- 1 large red onion, cut into slices
- 3 cloves garlic, (crushed or sliced)
- 1 cup diced carrot, (optional)
- ½ cup red bell pepper, cut into cubes
- 2 cup tomato, cut into large cubes
- ½ tablespoon vinegar
- 1 cup tomato sauce
Instructions
1. Boil meat
Season beef with a teaspoon of salt, a pinch of black pepper, thyme, and oregano. In a large cast aluminum or cast iron pot, heat half the oil. Sear the meat throughout (be careful with splatters, you are trying to cook the beef, not yourself).Add enough water to cover the meat and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer over low heat until the meat is very tender (it will start to flake). Rotate the meat every once in a while so it cooks uniformly.Add water if it becomes necessary so it doesn't get completely dry. By the end, you should have left about 3 cups of liquid. Cool down to room temperature
2. Shredd meat
Once the meat is cool enough to handle, cut into slices no more than 2 inches wide and shred the meat with your hands.
3. Make sauce
- In a heavy saucepan heat the remaining oil and cook and stir the onions until they become translucent.Add the garlic, carrots and peppers and simmer over very low heat for 3 minutes.Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes are tender.
4. Simmer meat
- Add the vinegar and tomato sauce and the meat and the remaining liquid from boiling the meat.Simmer for 10 minutes over low heat, or until all the vegetables are cooked through. Taste and season with salt to taste if needed.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More beef recipes
Looking for more flavorful Dominican beef recipes? Then don't miss our traditional res guisada, a flavorful stewed beef dish that is one of the most popular beef dishes in the Dominican Republic. Sancocho, one of our national dishes, is a stew that also has beef as one of the main ingredients. Filete encebollado pairs a quick-cook steak with sauteed onions.
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