December 6th, 2008 Newsletter

Bardstown Road Farmers’ Market

Sarah’s Corner

From our friend Sarah Fritschner

I am a coward regarding locavorism. I do what I can. But my half peck of local apples has run out and I’m eyeing the supermarket oranges – hey! They’re seasonal at least!

I did horde a mess of garlic, though it’s so delicious I’m going through it much faster than I ever did supermarket garlic. It’s one of my seasonal stalwarts.

Fortunately, the hard core locavores haven’t made it politically incorrect to refrigerate food, so for me, green peppers are still a local choice. Tons of them. I went on a pepper stuffing kick (see the Sept.13 archive entry at www.bardstownroadfarmersmarket.com) and stockpiled a bunch.

Now the weather has turned cold and gray, and the peppers are very much past their prime. So I’m warming the kitchen and my soul by creating a stew with my wrinkly peppers. Ropas viejas, translated, I’m told, to “old rags,” is a Cuban stew of beef shoulder (bison is also delicious) with lots of bell peppers, onion and garlic. The shredded beef, along with the vegetables, are said to resemble old rags.

Cooking stew, especially one where the beef is shredded, is a commitment. But long simmering turns shoulder meat into a silky miracle. The convenient part comes later, when you can dish leftovers into a bowl and microwave them. Cook this stew a day ahead if you can. Reheating improves it.

Ropas Viejas

Beef:

3 pounds beef or bison shoulder

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon (freshly ground) pepper

1 bay leaf

3 cloves garlic, pressed flat

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Ropas:

4 or 5 green bell peppers, cut into 1/4-inch strips (substitute some red peppers, if desired)

1 onion, cut in ¼-inch slices

¼ cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced, about 1 tablespoon

14 to 16 ounces canned, crushed tomatoes

3 tablespoons tomato paste (about ½ of a 6-ounce can)

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ cup green pimiento-stuffed olives

To braise the beef: Sprinkle both sides of beef with salt and pepper. In a large, heavy pot, combine bay leaf, garlic, oregano and cumin with 2 quarts of water. Add the beef and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Allow the beef to cool in the water for a half hour, then remove meat to a plate. Fish out the bay leaf and discard. Continue to simmer the beef stock so that it reduces in quantity to about 3 cups.

To make ropas: combine sliced bell peppers, onions and olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 5 or 10 minutes. All the vegetables should be quite reduced, browning and limp.

Pull the meat into shreds, adding it to the skillet as you do. When the meat is entirely shredded, add all the skillet ingredients to the broth. Add crushed tomatoes, paste, oregano and cumin. Continue to simmer, uncovered, another 30 minutes. Chop olives coarsely and add them. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.

The mixture will be brothy and is great served over rice in wide soup bowls. Serves 8.