Carne Guisada – Puerto Rican Beef Stew

Tonight’s dinner started out as beef stew then I went to my pantry and came out with some olives, capers, cilantro and cumin. With a few  ingredients I converted  a plain old stew into a savory Caribbean staple. If you are looking for a great recipe to make when the weather begins to get cold, this is it. This stew is so tender and  easy to make. It has a thick and a mildly spicy gravy which I ladled over rice. It is a wonderful way to feed a hungry crowd.

3 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup flour for dusting

2.5-3 Lb. chuck roast

1 med onion (diced)

3 carrots (diced)

1 green pepper (diced)

3 cloves garlic

2 tsp. Dried cilantro

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tbsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. salt

2 bay leaves

2 lbs. red potatoes (1″ dice)

24 Manzanilla stuffed olives

2 tbsp. capers

2 cups chicken stock

8 ounce can tomatoes sauce

Dice chuck roast into 1-1/2″ cubes

Heat oil in a large thick bottomed pot over med heat.

Lightly dust  beef cubes with flour.

When oil is hot brown beef cubes a few pieces at a time. Do not crowd the pot. Then remove from the pot and set aside.

When done browning beef lower the heat to medium-low then add onions, green peppers, carrots and garlic to pot and cook until onions and peppers get soft (about 5 minutes). Then add browned beef back into pot. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Increase heat and bring to a boil with pot uncovered.  When liquid begins to boil, lower heat to a simmer then cover the pot and cook for an additional 1 – 1/2 hours.

Serve with rice