Best Lamb or Pork Substitute for Ropa Vieja

Question

My wife no longer eats beef but loved ropa vieja.  Her birthday is coming up.  Is there a cut of lamb (or pork) I could use instead?

Lynn Clark · Accepted Answer

Hi Daniel - We haven't tried other cuts in our recipe for Ropa Vieja, but pork blade steak or country-style ribs would work here for pork. Pork butt would work too but that would take significantly longer to cook. For lamb, I'd probably go with the shoulder and, to keep it closer to flank for cook time, try to find boneless lamb shoulder chops. It's pretty likely cook times will be different here and, since we haven't tested it, I can't give specifics. Because of this, I would recommend a traditional version of the recipe rather than an Instant Pot version so you have more control over cook times and doneness. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.

Best Lamb or Pork Substitute for Ropa Vieja

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