Carne con Papas

CARNE CON PAPAS (Meat & Potato Stew)

Time: 2-3 hours

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 lbs. beef (for soup)

½ cup oil (vegetable or olive)

1 tbsp. of salt

1 tsp. paprika

½ tsp. pepper

1 bay leaf

1 large onion (or 2 small onions)

3 cloves of garlic

1 green pepper

1 can of tomato sauce (8 oz.)

1 cup vino seco (white cooking wine)

1 cup water

2 lbs. potatoes (about 3)

1 cup of alcaparrado (equal blend of olives, capers, and diced pimento)

Prep:

• Before cooking, dice the onion and green pepper and mince the garlic.

• Normally you can buy pre-packaged beef for soup which is already cut into chunks. If you cannot find this, just cut your beef (typically chuck) into approximately 2-inch cubes.

• You can find alcaparrado already pre-mixed and bottled at some Latin markets, but you can make your own by mixing equal parts halved or quartered olives, diced pimento, and capers.

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil on medium, then add the chunks of beef. Cook until browned on all sides, then remove from the pot and set aside.

2. Add the salt, paprika, pepper, bay leaf, onion, garlic, and green pepper into the pot and let cook.

3. Once everything has softened (indicated by onions becoming translucent), add the cooked beef, tomato sauce, vino seco, and water.

4. Bring to high heat. Once the broth begins to bubble, bring to a low heat and cover pot. Leave cooking for approximately 1 to 1.5 hours. You will know it is ready when you can easily stick a fork into the meat.

5. Peel the potatoes and cut each into large chunks (about 6 per potato).

6. Add the potatoes and alcaparrado to the pot. If needed, you may add more water and vino seco to cover the ingredients.

7. Cover again and allow to cook for about another hour, or until the potatoes are soft and the meat is fully tender.

Notes & Comments:

• I think 1/2 cup oil may have been much, it came out slightly too oily for my liking. I would reduce it to 1/4 cup.

• Add more meat. I cooked this recipe for a family of four and the meat was gone real quick.

• I feel like you can experiment with other spices in this dish, so feel free to add a little oregano, cumin, more bay leaves, etc.

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Receta Original

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CARNE CON PAPAS

2 lbs. de carnes de res 3 diente de ajo

½ taza de aceite 1 aji

1 cda. de sal 1 lata de salsa de tomate

1 cdta. de pimentón 1 taza de vino seco

½ cdta. de pimienta 1 taza de agua

1 hoja de laurel 2 lbs. de papas

1 cebolla 1 taza de alcaparrado

Corte la carne en cuadraditos. Sofríala en el aceite caliente. Cuando este ligeramente dorada, añada la sal, pimentón, pimienta, laurel, la cebolla picadita, los ajos machacados y el ají picadito. Y cuando esto se dore ligeramente, añada la salsa de tomate, vino seco y agua. Déjelo al fuego hasta que la carne este medio cocinada y entonces agregue las papas cortadas en cuadraditos y el alcaparrado. Déjelo cocinar hasta que la papas estén blandas y la carne cocinada. Si fuera necesario para terminar la cocción añada un poco mas de agua y vino seco. Da 6 a 8 raciones.