Carne Guisada

I follow the Hispanic Kitchen on Facebook so recipes like this one appear in the feed regularly. For the past couple years I have purchased a cow with a bunch of friends to get grass fed, grass finished beef at a great price. I do have the luxury of living in a state where access to farmers and ranchers who sell directly to the public is normal but if you can find one in your area, I recommend it. As a result of getting about 80 lbs. of meat, I need recipes to use it. This recipe appeared just as I was deciding what to do with some round steaks. It's basically a Mexican-style beef stew with potatoes and it's a winner!

Yields up to 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 pounds top round or skirt steak, sliced thin
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Cumin
Oregano * all the dry spices are “to taste”
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 Roma tomatoes, quartered
1 medium white onion, peeled and sliced in half (dice half of the onion and reserve it for later in the recipe)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 to 2 serrano peppers, chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
4 cups of water or chicken broth (I used broth)
4 cups peeled and diced Russet potatoes
1 large green, red or orange bell pepper, finely diced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons tomato paste or 1/4 to 1/2 cup tomato sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet for a few minutes. Season the sliced beef with a teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin and oregano. Sear the beef in the hot oil until good and brown.

2. In the blender, combine the tomatoes, 1/2 of the onion, garlic, serranos, cilantro and 4 cups of water (or broth). Season with salt and pepper to taste and blend until smooth.

3. To the beef, add the remaining diced onion, bell peppers and potatoes and cook for a few minutes. Add in the sauce from blender, vinegar and tomato paste (or sauce). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and continue cooking for a good 90 minutes or until sauce reduces and meat is tender. I usually like to add more of the dry spices as the beef cooks down. Add to your liking.

Notes: The carne guisada can be eaten as is, or with rice, beans and warm tortillas.