Description
Hearty carne guisada recipe delivers tender beef braised in rich, spicy Mexican-style sauce. Comforting stew promises warm flavors that will satisfy your deepest hunger for authentic Latin cuisine.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (900g) beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced (or 1 cup canned diced tomatoes)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsps vegetable oil
- 2 tbsps tomato paste
- 2 tbsps all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth or water
- 2 tbsps water (for slurry)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp oregano
Instructions
- Seasoning Preparation: Generously coat beef chunks with salt and black pepper, ensuring comprehensive flavor penetration.
- Meat Searing: Heat vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot, then methodically brown meat in strategic batches to develop a rich, caramelized exterior without steaming the protein.
- Aromatic Foundation: Sauté onions, green bell peppers, and garlic until softened, releasing their vibrant essence and creating a flavor-dense base for the stew.
- Sauce Development: Integrate diced tomatoes and tomato paste, stirring to break down and marry the ingredients into a harmonious sauce while intensifying the overall flavor profile.
- Spice Infusion: Sprinkle cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and oregano across the vegetable mixture, thoroughly distributing the warming spices to build depth and complexity.
- Braising Process: Return seared meat to the pot, pour in beef broth, and cover, allowing the stew to simmer gently for approximately two hours until the beef becomes extraordinarily tender.
- Final Refinement: Prepare a flour slurry to naturally thicken the sauce, creating a luxurious consistency that clings perfectly to the succulent meat.
- Serving Presentation: Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve alongside warm rice, traditional beans, or soft tortillas to complete this authentic comfort dish.
Notes
- Select High-Quality Meat: Choose well-marbled chuck roast or beef stew meat with good fat content for maximum tenderness and rich flavor development.
- Sear with Precision: Ensure meat is completely dry before searing to achieve a deep golden-brown crust, which locks in juices and creates complex flavor foundations.
- Spice Balance Matters: Layer spices gradually, tasting and adjusting cumin, chili powder, and paprika to prevent overwhelming the delicate meat’s natural taste profile.
- Low and Slow Technique: Maintain a gentle, consistent simmer during braising to break down tough muscle fibers, guaranteeing melt-in-your-mouth beef texture without drying out the meat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 90mg