AI-generated photo.
Cuban · Iconic · Cuba
Ropa vieja
Also called ropa vieja
Ropa vieja, a dish from Cuba.
Pai editors’ mark 4 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Ropa vieja is cooked in Cuba as its own dish. Braise the beef until it shreds, then simmer the shreds in pepper, onion, and tomato. Amounts are scaled for four from foods this library can count, so the nutrition panel comes from those ingredients.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
82
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 41%
- Carbs 16%
- Fat 44%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Suits · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium stay modest, with some fiber.
Suits · Weight loss
Calories stay contained and protein is high enough to feel like a meal.
Suits · High protein
About 26.4 g of protein in the serving.
Watch · Low sodium
About 460 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Suits · Gentle when sick
Mild, not fried, and not a very rich plate. Comfort, not a treatment.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Beef sirloin152 kcal
- Olive oil62 kcal
- Yellow onion18 kcal
- Tomato14 kcal
- Red bell pepper12 kcal
- Ground cumin2 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 3.4. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving is about 260 kcal. Two portions would be about 520 kcal if you want a fuller plate.
Allergens. None flagged in the required list.
Make it healthier
Serve three-quarters of the plate
The ingredient mix stays the same. Calories are three-quarters of the counted serving.
About 195 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and brighten the plate with lemon or lime.
The same dish with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Replace the meat or fish with the same weight of firm tofu.
The seasoning and the method stay. The center of the plate changes. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 260 kcal | 13% |
| Protein | 26.4 g | 53% |
| Carbohydrate | 10.3 g | 4% |
| Fiber | 2.8 g | 10% |
| Total sugars | 5.9 g | 12% |
| Fat | 12.6 g | 16% |
| Saturated fat | 2.9 g | 14% |
| Cholesterol | 69 mg | 23% |
| Sodium | 460 mg | 20% |
| Potassium | 745 mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 59 mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2.8 mg | 16% |
| Magnesium | 47 mg | 11% |
| Zinc | 5 mg | 45% |
| Vitamin A | 105 mcg | 12% |
| Vitamin C | 71.9 mg | 80% |
| Vitamin D | 0.1 mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 2.5 mg | 17% |
| Vitamin K · estimate | 15 mcg | 13% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.2 mg | 13% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.2 mg | 15% |
| Niacin (B3) | 9.3 mg | 58% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.9 mg | 55% |
| Folate | 56 mcg | 14% |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.3 mcg | 56% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- A middle path: useful food, with one or two numbers worth watching.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot with a lid
- Scale
- Tongs
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Beef sirloin1 lb450 g
Red bell pepper1 pepper180 g
Yellow onion1 onion180 g
Tomato3 tomatoes320 g
Ground cumin1 tsp2 g
Olive oil2 tbsp30.77 ml
Kosher salt1 tsp4 g
Bay leaf2 leaves0.6 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and brighten the plate with lemon or lime.. The same dish with less sodium.
- Replace the meat or fish with the same weight of firm tofu.. The seasoning and the method stay. The center of the plate changes.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Heat a heavy pot until it will brown, and keep the lid close. For Ropa vieja, start here: braise the beef until it shreds, then simmer the shreds in pepper, onion, and tomato.
AI-generated photo.
2Braise the beef until it shreds, then simmer the shreds in pepper, onion, and tomato.
Cook 70 min
AI-generated photo.
3A fork should meet no resistance in the center. Stop when this is true of Ropa vieja: Braise the beef until it shreds, then simmer the shreds in pepper, onion, and tomato.
AI-generated photo.
4Spoon the sauce over the center and serve it in the pot or on a warm plate. Ropa vieja is eaten in Cuba as this plate, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it.
How you know it is done
Ropa vieja is done when the thickest piece is tender and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Ropa vieja looks done on top and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue in the method, not the color alone. Give it a few more minutes and check the center.
- Ropa vieja spread, sank, or turned out dry. Measure by weight next time, heat the oven fully, and stop when the doneness cue appears rather than when the timer ends.
Storage
Cool Ropa vieja, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven, not a raw salad.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Ropa vieja is cooked by braise in Cuba. The steps follow that technique, including the timing above.
- The meat, poultry, or fish is the protein. The panel is this plate, not a generic serving.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, and eggs through. Use pasteurized dairy if the recipe includes it. There is no alcohol in the required list.
Allergens in the required list: none flagged.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.