Ropa Vieja
Jennifer IserlohThis week, we've had our first cool night on the East Coast, which got me craving something warmer for dinner. Savory beef with a soupy tomato sauce is my favorite Cuban country dish (with the exception of black beans and rice, of course!).

I've always wondered about the name, but realized the shredded beef does indeed resemble a twisted old dress shirt. There are several stories as to how the dish was named, but my favorite is about a very poor man who didn't have money to buy food for his family. He took some "ropa vieja" -- old clothing -- from the closet and cooked it in a pot with a lot of love. Miraculously, it turned into a rich and hearty beef stew.

I agree with the notion that you should always cook from the heart, but is beef really bad for your heart? Beef gets a bit of a bad rap from the health police because it can be high in saturated fat.

For example, 4 ounces of chicken without the skin has about 1.5 grams of fat, while 4 ounces of flank steak has around 7 grams, three of which are saturated. But beef, in moderation, isn't necessarily bad for you, as long as you have your cholesterol in check and are in good shape otherwise.

Choose leaner cuts of beef like fillet, flank steak and well-trimmed stew beef and be sure to trim excess fat before you cook it.


Get the Skinny Chef's Ropa Vieja recipe.