Carne Desmechada is also known as Ropa Vieja in Colombia. This shredded beef dish is popular in Latin America and every country has its own way to make it and a different name for this dish in Venezuela is known as Carne Mechada, but it's basically shredded flank steak cook in a rich sauce with spices and vegetables. Every cook and family has it own variation and ways to serve it. This is my Colombian version and I like to serve it over white rice with ripe plantain on the side.
Cooking flank Steak this way is ideal when you want to prepare a dish ahead of time. Carne Desmechada or Ropa Vieja is another popular recipe in Colombia and Latin America. This classic beef dish is very easy, and is great over rice, patacones and arepas. It can also be used as a filling for tacos or empanadas.
Carne Desmechada o Ropa Vieja (Shredded Beef)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds flank steak
- 9 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ½ cups hogao
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
Instructions
- In a pot, place the flank steak, water, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the meat is cooked.
- Measure 1 cup of the liquid used to cook the meat. Set aside.
- Remove the beef from the pot, let it cool and shred with a fork or your hands.
- In a saucepan, place the shredded beef, hogao, tomato paste and 1 cup of beef liquid. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve hot over white rice or arepa.
Notes
Nutrition
This traditional dish is made with flank steak, onions, garlic, cumin, tomato and tomato paste.
Serve it with patacones, white rice or arepa. Buen provecho
More Colombian recipes that may like:
Pan de Queso Colombiano (Colombian Cheese Bread)
Arroz con Leche Colombiano (Rice Pudding)
Arroz con Pollo (Colombian Style Rice with Chicken)
More Latin-Style shredded beef recipes:
Carne Ripiada Dominicana from Aunt Clara's Kitchen
5 Star Foodie
Shredded flank steak sounds excellent - this is a meal that everyone in a family would enjoy!
ericriveracooks
Everytime I come to your blog it takes me back to being a little kid. I love it.
Eric
Sapuche
This looks great, especially with the flavorful red juices at the bottom of the pot. It reminds me of the pulled pork here in Hawaii, and I love how simple it is to make!
Allison Lemons
I'm so happy I found your blog - and my Colombian husband will be too once I start trying out your recipes! He'll be excited about this one especially - I don't cook red meat that often but when I do he always requests flank steak. Thanks for the recipe - I can't wait for future posts!
stephanie
my husband can't wait for me to cook this dish for him tonight! thanks for the great recipe!
recipes ca
Hi, I applaud your blog for informing people, very interesting article, keep up it coming 🙂
Kimberly
I'm not big on beef, but the recipe looked so good and easy, I decided to go ahead with it. It was delicious! Thank you! Excellent with white rice AND arepa (I was really hungry)!
Anonymous
I made this carne desmechada or ropa vieja and it was fantastic. I served over white rice.
Bajar Barriga
No sé bien cómo llegué a tu blog y todo el contenido me pareció genial. Ya llevo un rato navegando por aquí. Tu dirección ya está en mi Google Reader. Si estás aburrido, comenta en mi sitio. Abrazo!
Erycka
Hola Erica,
me encanta tu blog. Cada vez que vengo aca se antojo hacer todo a la vez. Quería pedir un favor, es posible poner el nombre de la carne en español. Ahorita estoy en Bogota , y bueno no se como traducir el nombre de las carnes.
Keep up the good work! Think my next meal will be las lentejas. Por más que me gusta la arepa con queso, el calentao y el pan de bono...necesito variar o si no llego a casa (Nueva York) hecha una ballena.
-Erycka
Josie
En Colombia lo llaman Sobre barriga
Paula
Hola!! Me pregunto si en lugar de sobrebarriga se puede usar carne de falda o solomo abierto...si es asi, cual es el nombre de esos cortes en inglespara pedirlos en la carniceria?
GRACIAS!!
Anna
I just made this tonight, and my family loved it!!! thanks so much for sharing your recipes i am making a list to make more! My hubby is colombian and im italian, but i love colombian food!! Some of his family have taught me some stuff but i wanna try new things! i luv the flavors! You dont know how much i appreciate you sharing this, he loved dinner tonight! thanks again! tomorrow i will try the beans and beef stew. I love this website!!
Laura
Question, can you use Sofrito instead of making Hogao? What are other alternatives to the Hogao?
Erica
Laura, You can use sofrito.
Laura
Hi Erica, Another question, can the meat be cooked in a slow cooker instead of a regular pot? If so, how long do you think the meat should cook for? Love all of your recipes!!
Erica
Laura- Using the slow cooker.....Cook it for about 4 to 5 hours.
Nora
4-5 hrs on high?
Erica Dinho
No! Read the first step:Cook over medium heat for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the meat is cooked.
Rocio
Thank you so much for your recipes. They take me back to my childhood, and now I can make them for my own family. I made the carne desmechada last night and it was a big hit. I can't wait to keep trying more. Im grateful for your website. And I just love how you add the pictures of each dish. AMAZING!!!
Christina
Hi- I wanted to know if I should cut the steak prior to boiling it?
Thank you!
Erica
No.
Mayito Castillo
Uuummm!!! Que delicia!! La conbinacion perfecta, patacon con carne mechada.
Maria Khan
Estoy encantada con las recetas y toda la familia disfruta muchísimo cuando preparo comida Colombiana. llevo mucho tiempo viviendo aqui y había perdido un poco el sabor real de nuestra comida. Cada semana ensayo una nueva receta.
Michelle
Hi Erica,
Can I use this recipe in a crock pot? If so, how long and do I just put everything in the pot and let it cook? Or do I have to do something else before it goes into the crock pot?
Thanks.
Erica Dinho
I am going to to make it in the slow cooker and I will publish the recipe.
Jennifer
Did you ever publish the recipe in the crockpot ?
Erica Dinho
No.... I will post it soon!
Erika Yepes
Please - I have made a version in the slow cooker but would love to follow a recipe from the expert! Sending thanks from Bangkok!
Natalia
Esta carne quedo exquisita! La acabo de hacer para 15 invitados que tengo mañana y quedo buenísima de sabor. Lo único extra que hice fue ponerle caldo maggi y un poquito de cominos y quedo deliciosa! Gracias por esta website. También hice el relleno para las empanadas, seguro que quedaran deliciosas cuando las termine mañana.
Corina
This sounds like a delicious dish and so nice and easy too! You can't go wrong with shredded steak!
Super Kernel Basmati Rice
this is must be so delicious I gotta try it tonight ! thanks for the wonderful recipe xx
Aleksander Olsen
I have so far only had good experiences with Latin food and this already sounds fantastic.
I will try this tomorrow. 🙂
Juan Fernando
My mother, and Abuela have made Carne desmechada so many times through the my life, that it has become a staple of my comfort food repertoire.
Unfortunately, flank steak or sobré Bariga has actually become popular ie expensive and as such I only purchase it when I can find a deal. Luckily this is one of those weeks.
We have always havled a small to medium white or yellow onion into the water and added garlic cloves, along with the ground pepper. (I sometimes add a bay leaf)
At the end you are left with a a great beef broth to use as the base of soups and other dishes.
Enjoy
Juan Fernando R
Carne Desmechada is one of my personal favorites, I will eat it alone, I will eat it with rice, I will eat it on Arepas and Patacones.
I would also suggest to the readers, that you can add sliced spanish or white onion, and a healthy dose of garlic to the water, when you add the sobre barriga, (flank steak).
This will add flavours to the meat, and leave you with an amazing beef stock base to use in your other cooking.
I regularly, make soup the day of or day after having made carne desmechada, take the stock leftover from preparing the meat, and add anything from your crisper, carrots, corne, beans, celery, kale or cabbage, whatever you like in your soup.
Thanks for the amazing recipes. This is my go to keep my dose of Vitamin C(olombia)
Kinza
Wow yummy...!! It looks so delicious.. Thanks for sharing this recipe..
Leydi
Hola, una pregunta la carne se puede hacer en la holla a precios? Cuanto tiempo más o menos? Tengo niños pequeños y me gusta que la carne quede blandita. Gracias