Carne Guisada

 

Sometimes you want a stew with a Mexican flavored twist. Sometimes it feels like you have to wait until the weather starts to cool down so it feels like it’s okay to eat a stew. The great thing about this recipe is that it feels totally acceptable to eat this year round! It’s just good, classic comfort food.

 

 

It hits all the marks. Soft and flavorful beef that’s rich and toothsome, the peppers add a unique zing and blend perfectly with the rich and creamy tomatoes. Finally, add some pepper and potato pieces to round out the meal, and you have an amazing blend of flavors and textures.

 

 

You can serve this with a basic spring mix salad, or some amazing Spanish rice for a complete meal. It also goes amazing with your favorite corn bread or corn muffins.

 

Carne Guisada

Prep: 20 minutes  Cook Time: 40 minutes

 

Sauce:

4 dried guajillo chili peppers

2 dried chili ancho or dried California chili peppers

2 garlic cloves

1 8oz can tomato sauce (I like la Mexicana)

2 c water, divided

 

Beef:

1-1  ½ lb beef (diced, ground, or sew meat)

1 ½ Tbs AP Flour

1 tsp salt

½ tsp Mexican oregano, ground cumin, garlic salt, black pepper

1 bell pepper (any color), diced

½ yellow onion, diced

1 jalepeno, diced

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1 c beef broth

3 potatoes, peeled and diced

 

Clean, de-stem and de-seed your chili peppers. Place them in a medium pot and cover them with water. Bring the pot to a boil and then turn it off and let them soak. Meanwhile, place the garlic and tomato sauce into the blender. Add the soaking peppers and 1 cup of the heated water and blend until smooth. Reserve a second cup of the heated water. Pour the sauce through a sieve to remove any seeds or skins. Use the reserved water if necessary to help with this. Once the sauce is ready, set aside.

 

In a small bowl, combine the flour with the other seasonings listed for the beef. Sprinkle the seasonings over the meat and mix them together well with your hands. In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Set each batch aside in a bowl while you cook the next batch.

 

Once the meat is finished, add a bit more oil and saute the onions and peppers, just until the onions are translucent. Then add the meat back to the pan along with the tomatoes and mix everything together. Finally pour the sauce into the pan and the beef broth. Mix everything together, put a lid on the pan and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Finally, add the potatoes, mix them in and put the lid back on for another 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and cooked through.

 

 

Serve with rice, beans, and tortillas.