It's time for a change. It's summer, and it turns out I don't cook as often or as ambitiously when the weather's hot. And even though we don't repeat ourselves in the kitchen as much as many folks do, we do repeat ourselves eventually.

Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to clam up unless and until I have an interesting new recipe to share. So keep your eyes peeled as usual, but don't expect the full monty.

Here's what I made for dinner today, though:

ROPA VIEJA
1 1/2 lbs. flank steak, skirt steak, or brisket
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 green or orange bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, sliced
a few small cloves garlic, smashed
water
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 green or orange bell pepper, chopped
1/2 jalapeño pepper, minced
4 Tbs. tomato paste
15-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. sweet paprika
2 bay leaves
1/2 c. dry white wine
Salt and black pepper to taste

Brown the meat in 1 Tbs. olive oil in a large saucepan or stockpot. Add chopped green pepper, sliced onion, and smashed garlic. Add enough water to surround the meat, but not cover it. Simmer, covered, about an hour.

Meanwhile, in a second pan, sauté onions, garlic, and peppers in olive oil until limp. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered.

When the meat is cooked, remove it from the pot and let it cool enough to shred it. Add the shredded meat to the simmering sauce. Strain the broth into the sauce, too. Discard the strained-out vegetables.

Simmer until meat is very tender and flavors are melded. Serve with crusty bread that has been brushed with olive oil and toasted.