There is something especially satisfying about a meal that takes a little time but doesn’t require a lot of fuss. A pot on the stove, a few simple ingredients, and the pleasure of letting dinner come together while the kitchen fills with the aroma of garlic, onions, and spices.
This Braised Flank Steak with Peppers and Onions is inspired by ropa vieja, the Cuban dish of shredded beef served in a savory tomato sauce. In this easy version, the flank steak is first simmered with aromatics until tender, then shredded and finished in a sauce of tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, garlic, and warm spices.
The result is tender, flavorful lean beef with plenty of sauce. It’s the kind of satisfying dinner that reminds me that eating well doesn’t have to mean giving up the foods we love.
Welcome to the Good and Good for You™ newsletter, a quick five-minute read with ideas and information to help improve your life — including a tasty and healthful recipe.
Meet Virginia
Hi! I’m chef and cookbook author Virginia Willis. My approach to wellness is that health gain is more important than weight loss.
My philosophy is, “If you choose what’s Good and Good for You™ more often than not, you’re headed in the right direction.”
This issue shares:
- Best Life Living Tip: Make Time for a Meal Worth Waiting For ⏰
- Self-Care Strategy: Lean, Clean, and Protein-Packed💪🏼
- Ideas and Inspiration: “Meatdad” – No, I’m not kidding.🥩
- Good and Good for You Spotlight: Radically Traditional Farming 🚜
- Good and Good for You™ Recipe: Braised Flank Steak with Peppers and Onions🌶️
Read on for more…
Best Life Living Tip
Make Time for a Meal Worth Waiting For
Not every dinner needs to be on the table in 30 minutes. Some recipes benefit from a little more time, and that doesn’t mean you have to spend all of it standing over the stove.
This flank steak is a good example. The beef simmers gently with vegetables and aromatics until tender. After that, it’s shredded and finished in a skillet with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and spices.
The hands-on work is fairly simple. Much of the cooking time is spent letting the ingredients do their thing.
A useful kitchen strategy is to choose a meal like this when you have a little time at home. You can prepare the ingredients, get the pot going, and use the cooking time to take care of other things.
Self-Care Strategy
Flank Steak — Protein-Packed Goodness
Taking care of yourself starts with nourishing your body. Flank steak is a flavorful, lean cut of beef packed with high-quality protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. It’s also a more affordable piece of steak in comparison to ribeye, sirloin, or tenderloin.
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Build muscle: Protein helps maintain muscle mass and strength as we age.
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Support energy: Iron helps transport oxygen throughout the body.
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Healthy aging: Vitamin B12 and zinc support nerve function and immune health.
Ideas and Inspiration
A Different Way to Think About Meat
Meatdad – aka Anthony Bartleson is a butcher in Northern California with over 20 years experience and has become my go-to for meat knowledge.
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Meat Know-How: From breaking down whole cuts to sharpening knives, grinding meat, and mastering the grill, he makes butchery approachable for home cooks.
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Save Money, Eat Well: His practical tips show how buying larger cuts, learning basic butchery, and preparing food at home can stretch your grocery dollars.
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Food Education: His mission is to make meat knowledge accessible, encourage cooking skills, and help people become more confident and resourceful in the kitchen.
Give him a follow on instagram at yes, @meatdad1
Good and Good for You™ Living Spotlight
This Week’s Spotlight features White Oak Pastures
This week, I’m shining a spotlight on White Oak Pastures, a six-generation family farm in Bluffton, Georgia, that’s been raising livestock since 1866.
White Oak Pastures offers a wide selection of products, including grass-fed and grass-finished beef, including flank steak, pastured Thanksgiving turkey, pastured chicken, heritage pork, lamb, goat, and more.
I appreciate having the opportunity to support a Georgia farm with such a long history and a direct-to-consumer approach.
If you’re interested in knowing more about where your food comes from or stocking your freezer with thoughtfully raised meat take a look
Shop White Oak Pastures through my affiliate link:
Use Code VIRGINIA20 for $20 off new orders over $150
*Orders containing Thanksgiving turkeys will ship the week of November 16
Make It Count
This week, take one little bit of pressure off dinner.
- Choose one recipe that can cook while you do something else.
- Make enough to enjoy leftovers — or make sure to freeze some for later.
- Remember that a satisfying meal doesn’t have to be complicated.
Small, practical choices add up. That’s what Good and Good for You™ is all about.
Thanks so much for reading. If you give this recipe a try, please let me know — take a snap and tag me on IG at @virginiawillis.
Bon Appétit, Y’all!
Virginia Willis
Braised Flank Steak with Peppers and Onions
Ingredients
- 2 pounds flank steak cut into 4 pieces
- 1 large carrot peeled and cut into chunks
- 1/2 small red cabbage quartered
- 2 sprigs fresh mint
- 1/2 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley stems leaves reserved for garnish
- 4 large garlic cloves peeled and smashed
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 2 bay leaves, preferably fresh divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion sliced
- 1 large green bell pepper cored and sliced
- 1 red bell pepper cored and sliced
- 4 large garlic cloves very finely chopped
- 1 large pinch ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 1/2 cups canned tomato puree
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place beef, carrot, cabbage, mint, parsley stems, garlic, peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large pot with water to cover (about 6 cups.) Add one of the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer. Cover and cook until the beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove from the heat and remove the beef from the broth. Reserve 1 cup of the broth for the vegetables. Strain and keep the remaining for another use. Discard the solids. When cool, remove the beef and shred by hand. Set aside.
- To prepare the onions and pepper, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell peppers; cook until the onion is soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the bay leaf, garlic, ground cloves, ground allspice, and remaining bay leaf. Stir to combine. Add the tomato puree, reserved broth. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add the shredded beef and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally until the flavors are married, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
Nutrition
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