Make this easy Nicaraguan-inspired Instant Pot Carne Desmenuzada or Ropa Vieja (Shredded Beef) any day of the week in under 20 minutes!

Are you looking for an easy to prepare meal with an amazing flavor everyone will love? If so, I invite you to make this easy-does-it-Nicaraguan-inspired Carne Desmenuzada (very similar to Cuban Ropa Vieja) AKA Shredded Beef made in your Instant Pot pressure cooker. Usually shredded beef takes hours to prepare since you have to cook the beef for a couple of hours, shredded the beef, prepare the sauce and combine it all together. However, by using your Instant Pot pressure cooker or any other pressure cooker for that matter, you can cut the cooking time to just 20 minutes! Seriously, from start to finish, all it takes is 20 minutes. Still don’t believe me? Here is how.

Instant Pot Carne Desmenuzada or Ropa Vieja (Shredded Beef)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons corn oil or Extra virgin Olive oil
• 1 onion cut (1/2 in big wedges and 1/2 sliced lengthwise)
• 1 red pepper (1/2 in big wedges and 1/2 sliced lengthwise)
• 1/2 green pepper sliced lengthwise
• 2 medium tomatoes cut lengthwise
• 2 pound of Flank Steak cut in 3 large pieces
• juice of half a bitter orange
• 2 1/2 cups of the broth beef stock
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup of ketchup
• 1 tablespoon of mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon of achiote diluted in a little of the broth
• 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 clove of garlic

Instructions:

1. First, season the flank steak with salt and pepper. Then, in your Instant Pot inner liner, place the flank steak cut in 3 large pieces, 1/2 onion (big wedges), garlic (whole), 1/2 green pepper (big wedges) and the broth beef stock.
   • Optional: if you have a beef bullion, you can add it to the beef mixture to give the beef even more taste.
2. Now, put the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the Steam Release valve to sealing and cook in “Manual” setting for 15 minutes. Once the Instant Pot is done, do a “quick release” by turning the Steam release to “venting”.
3. Carefully remove the Instant Pot lid and remove the flank steak from the broth. DO NOT discard the beef broth, just transfer the beef stock from the inner liner to another container and reserve it.
4. Now, let the beef rest for a few minutes. Then shredded the beef using two forks or with using your fingers to separate the strands. If the beef is not easy shredded, you can cook it for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Return your Instant pot inner liner to the Instant Pot housing and click on the “saute” pre-set.
6. Now add oil to the inner liner and wait until the front panel reads “HOT.”
7. Once the Instant pot beeps, add the lengthwise sliced peppers, onion, and tomatoes and cook until tender about 3-5 mins.
8. Add the shredded beef back to the inner liner and mix the beef and the veggies.
9. Now add about 1-2 cups of reserved broth, Worcestershire sauce, bitter orange (or lemon juice), ketchup, mustard, diluted achiote, salt, and pepper to taste and saute for 2-5 minutes.
10. If your sauce is a bit dry, add a bit more reserved stock.
    • Optional: if the beef is too bitter, you can add a bit of sugar but not too much.
11. Accompany your shredded beef with a side of rice, mashed potatoes, plantains or tostones.

Yield: 2 servings

Instant Pot Carne Desmenuzada or Ropa Vieja (Shredded Beef)

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons corn oil or Extra virgin Olive oil
• 1 onion cut, (1/2 in big wedges and 1/2 sliced lengthwise)
• 1 red pepper, (1/2 in big wedges and 1/2 sliced lengthwise)
• 1/2 green pepper, sliced lengthwise
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut lengthwise
• 2 pound of Flank Steak, cut in 3 large pieces
• juice of half a bitter orange
• 2 1/2 cups of the broth, beef stock
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup of ketchup
• 1 tablespoons of mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon of achiote diluted in a little of broth
• 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 clove of garlic

Instructions

1. First, season the flank steak with salt and pepper. Then, in your Instant Pot inner liner, place the flank steak cut in 3 large pieces, 1/2 onion (big wedges), garlic (whole), 1/2 green pepper (big wedges) and the broth beef stock. 
2. Optional: if you have a beef bullion, you can add it to the beef mixture to give the beef even more taste.  
3. Now, put the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the Steam Release valve to sealing and cook in "Manual" setting for 15 minutes. Once the Instant Pot is done, do a "quick release" by turning the Steam release to "venting".
4. Carefully remove the Instant Pot lid and remove the flank steak from the broth. DO NOT discard the beef broth, just transfer the beef stock from the inner liner to another container and reserve it.
5. Now, let the beef rest for a few minutes. Then shredded the beef using two forks or with using your fingers to separate the strands. If the beef is not easy shredded, you can cook it for an additional 5 minutes.
6. Return your Instant pot inner liner to the Instant Pot housing and click on the saute pre-set.
7. Now add oil to the inner liner and wait until the front panel reads "HOT."
8. Once the Instant pot beeps, add the lengthwise sliced peppers, onion, and tomatoes and cook until tender about 3-5 mins.
9. Add the shredded beef back to the inner liner and mix the beef and the veggies.
10. Now add about 1-2 cups of reserved broth, Worcestershire sauce, bitter orange (or lemon juice), ketchup. mustard, diluted achiote, salt, and pepper to taste and saute for 2-5 minutes.
11. If your sauce is a bit dry, add a bit more reserved stock. 
12. Optional: if the beef is too bitter, you can add a bit of sugar but not too much. 
13. Accompany your shredded beef with a side of rice, mashed potatoes, plantains or tostones.

Want more Instant Pot Recipes? Click here to find more! 

So, there it is! Yes, it is that simple and fast too! I hope you get to enjoy this delicious Instant Pot Carne Desmenuzada or Ropa Vieja (Shredded Beef) recipe which holds such a special place in my memories from when I was growing up. Not only is this recipe delicious, but the best part is that you can prepare in one pot. No more messing with a bunch of different pot and waiting for 1 to 2 hours for your meat to tenderize. 🙂 One last thing, if you have favorite pressure cooker recipe you love, please share it with us via the comment section below, maybe that will be the next recipe we get to make! 🙂

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