Mexican Beef Stew

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Ubiquitous throughout Mexico as well as parts of Texas, carne guisada (literally meaning “stewed meat”) is the Mexican answer to beef stew. Chock-full of beef and vegetables in an aromatic tomato sauce, the consistency of the stew looks similar to classic American versions, but the flavor is distinctly Mexican. To start, we built a spicy base that included jalapeño, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon in addition to the traditional onions and garlic, but tasters wanted even deeper flavor. We found that toasting two dried ancho chiles and adding them to the pot as the beef simmered, then discarding them just before serving provided seasoning without adding too much heat. Adding the traditional potatoes and bell peppers halfway through cooking allowed them to soak up the flavor of the stew without becoming too soft. We also added briny green olives at the end of cooking so they would retain their firm texture. Cutting our meat and vegetables into large pieces gave the stew an appealingly rustic texture. Cilantro, stirred in just before serving, provided vibrant, fresh flavor. Satisfying by itself, carne guisada can also be served with rice and warm tortillas.

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 4 pounds boneless beef chuck-eye roast, pulled apart at seams, trimmed, and cut into 1½-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped fine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1½ pounds red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1½-inch pieces
• 2 red or green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup pitted green olives, chopped coarse
• ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Toast anchos in Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 2 to 6 minutes; transfer to bowl.
2. Pat beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty pot over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of beef on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes; transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining beef.
3. Add onions and ¼ teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeño, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in tomatoes and their juice and toasted anchos and bring to a simmer. Stir in browned beef and any accumulated juices, cover, transfer pot to oven, and cook for 1 hour.
4. Stir in potatoes and bell peppers, cover, and cook in oven until beef and potatoes are tender, 1 to 1½ hours.
5. Remove pot from oven and discard anchos. Stir in olives and let sit until heated through, 2 minutes. Adjust stew consistency with hot water as needed. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.