Carne Guisada Image Used Under Creative Commons License From thefoodcharlatan.com
Citizens, Carne guisada is a delicious Tex-Mex recipe that is extremely popular throughout Texas and other parts of the southwestern United States. Not to be confused with carna asada (which is marinated flank or skirt steak) carne guisada (CAR-nay gee-SA-da) is a beef stew that’s braised low and slow with chiles, onions, tomatoes, spices and, in my case, beer for hours until it creates its own gravy.
As noted on texasmonthly.com:
Carne guisada is literally “meat stew,” some version of which can be found in every cuisine. But what a stew it is, its meaty broth thickened with roux and animated with a magical mix of dried chiles, garlic, cumin, and black pepper. It was never part of the revolving Tex-Mex repertoire of picadillo, cheese enchiladas, and beef tacos that delighted my family over the years.
But then I made it during the holidays, surrounded by said kinfolk, who with margarita-fueled enthusiasm generously kept me company, “helped” me cook (“What the heck is Mexican oregano?” “You’re going to seed those chiles, right?”), and, over the next few days, ate every last bit of it—all by itself, mixed with eggs, atop fresh-made grits, and, of course, wrapped in fluffy flour tortillas and showered with yellow cheese.
It’s offered as a filling at roadside taco stands and food trucks throughout Texas and especially San Antonio, the city where I first discovered it. Besides making a perfect comfort food (and even better leftovers), carne guisada is inexpensive — cheap stew meat is the most expensive component — and it is also easy to prepare.
My version is extremely tasty and makes for a fine family dinner as a taco filling or just on its own – I hope you enjoy this classic tex-mex dish for yourselves, Citizens! 🙂 You can buy the only proper chili powder for this recipe here and I would serve this with these Texas beans on the side!
Battle on – The Generalissimo
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. stew beef, cut into 1" cubes
- 3 tablespoon lard (or vegetable oil, but lard gives the true flavor)
- ¼ c. flour seasoned with salt and pepper
- ¼ c. minced red bell pepper
- ½ c. minced onion
- 2 minced tomatoes
- 1 minced chipotle in adobo, Herdez brand preferred
- 2 teaspoons chipotle adobo sauce
- ⅓ c. tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano, rubbed between the palms
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 minced jalapeno
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ tsp. freshly ground cumin
- ½ tsp. freshly ground coriander seed
- 1 ½ tsp. chili powder - only Gebhardt's brand will suffice for a true Texan!
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ⅔ c. beef broth
- ⅓ c. dark Mexican beer such as Negro Modelo
- ⅓ c. chopped cilantro
- 1 bay leaf
- Additional cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Rinse, dry and cut the meat. In a bowl, toss together with the seasoned flour and remove, shaking off the excess.
- In a large pot or a Dutch oven, heat the lard or oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat on all sides (about half a minute per side). Do this in batches if need be; don’t overcrowd the pot. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Lower heat to medium. If necessary, add a little more oil to the pot and saute the garlic, onion, bell peppers, jalapenos, chipotle and spices. Stirring often, cook until the vegetables just begin to soften, then and add the tomato paste, chipotles and the adobo sauce, stirring to fully incorporate. Let cook for a few more minutes.
- Add the browned beef back to the pot and pour in the beer and tomatoes (plus liquid) and add bay leaf. If the liquid doesn’t completely cover the meat, add a little beer or broth to the pot to cover it. Crank up the heat, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 2-4 hours (or longer), until the meat starts to soften and break down into strings and the “gravy” thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with cilantro.
- Serve with warm flour tortillas.
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Look so good. .