Guatemalan Beef Stew with Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 lb Beef ribs (Cut into individual pieces)
• 2 lb Stewing beef (Cut into pieces)
• Garlic powder (To taste)
• Onion powder (To taste)
• Salt (To taste)
• Black pepper (To taste)
• Beef bouillon (Optional and to taste)
• Seasoning sauce or soy sauce (A little, to taste)
• Lard or oil (As needed to sear the meat)
• 3 Red tomatoes (For roasting)
• 1 Sweet chile (For roasting; can be substituted with a bell pepper)
• 0.5 Small onion (For roasting)
• 3 Miltomates (The transcription says “3 mil tomatoes”; interpreted as 3 miltomates, for roasting)
• 3 Huaque chiles (For roasting)
• 1 Pasa chile (For roasting)
• 2 Garlic cloves (For roasting)
• 3 cup Water for blending
• 2 Corn tortillas (To thicken the sauce; can be substituted with French bread, flour, or masa)
• 3 cup Water for cooking (Added after straining the sauce)
• Bay leaves (To taste)
• Thyme (A few leaves or sprigs, to taste)
• 3 Potatoes (Peeled and cut into pieces)
• 1 Large carrot (Peeled and cut into pieces)

Steps

1. 1

   Cut the ribs and beef into manageable pieces. Place them in a bowl and season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, beef bouillon if desired, and a little seasoning sauce or soy sauce. Mix very well to coat all the pieces; adjust the seasonings to taste.

2. 2

   Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a little lard or oil. Once hot, add the meat pieces without overcrowding the skillet and sear them on all sides. They do not need to be cooked through at this stage; they only need to be browned on the outside. Work in batches if necessary and set the meat aside.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, roast the tomatoes, sweet chile, half onion, miltomates, huaque chiles, pasa chile, and garlic cloves on a comal, skillet, or hot griddle. Turn them occasionally until softened and lightly charred in spots, which will add depth to the sauce.

4. 4

   Place the roasted ingredients in a blender. Add 3 cups of water and the 2 corn tortillas. Blend until smooth; the tortillas will help thicken the sauce. If you do not have tortillas, you can use French bread, flour, or masa, as mentioned by the author.

5. 5

   Pour the blended sauce through a strainer directly into a pressure cooker to remove excess pulp and achieve a finer texture. Press the pulp with a spoon to extract as much sauce as possible.

6. 6

   Add the remaining 3 cups of water, bay leaves, and thyme to the pot. Add the seared meat pieces and stir gently to distribute them throughout the sauce.

7. 7

   Close the pressure cooker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Cook for 20 minutes once the cooker reaches pressure. Turn off the heat and safely release the pressure before opening it. The meat should be tender enough to pierce easily with a fork.

8. 8

   If the pressure cooker is too small, transfer the meat and sauce to a larger pot. Add the 3 potatoes and large carrot, peeled and cut into similarly sized pieces so they cook evenly.

9. 9

   Taste the stew and adjust the salt, beef bouillon, pepper, or seasoning sauce if needed. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for several minutes, until the potatoes and carrot are tender when pierced and the sauce is slightly thickened.

10. 10

    Serve the beef stew very hot, with plenty of sauce and vegetables. Accompany it with handmade corn tortillas, Russian salad, and chiltepe chile, as suggested by the author.

Notes

The author calls this dish “birthday food” in her region. Seasonings are added to taste. The amount of oil or lard was not specified; use only as much as needed to sear the meat. The transcription appears to say “3 mil tomatoes,” but in the context of Guatemalan cuisine, it was interpreted as 3 miltomates.

Nutrition per serving

• main course
• Guatemalan food
• beef
• stew
• pressure cooker
• birthday food
• gluten-free
• comfort food