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Asado negro
Asado negro: Caracas-style beef braised in dark caramelised panela
Asado negro is the Sunday lunch of Caracas families: a whole piece of beef eye of round (muchacho redondo) is seared in sugar caramelised almost to black, then slowly braised until the sauce is dark, glossy and sweet-savoury. Despite how it looks, it doesn't taste burnt, just deep and rich. It is sliced and served with white rice, fried ripe plantain and sometimes a mash of potatoes. Many cooks add a glass of red wine to the braise; to keep it alcohol-free, use the same amount of beef stock and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar instead. The mistake to avoid is stirring the panela while it caramelises: it crystallises and goes grainy. Chef's tip: get the caramel really dark, just before it smokes, because the colour and depth of the whole dish come from that minute.
- Total time
- 200 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the marinade
For the braise
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Blend 1 onion, 6 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper into a paste. Pierce 2 ⅞ lb beef eye of round (muchacho redondo), in one piece deeply in several places and rub the paste all over it.
10 minStep 2: Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight. Always marinate in the fridge, never on the counter.
Step 3: Take the beef out of the marinade and pat it dry; keep the marinade.
Step 4: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy casserole over a medium heat. Scatter in 2 ⅞ oz panela or dark brown sugar and let it melt without stirring, swirling the pot, for 3–5 minutes until it is very dark brown and just starting to smoke.
4 minStep 5: Carefully lay the beef in the caramel (it will spit) and turn it every minute for 8–10 minutes until it is coated in a dark, almost black crust.
9 minStep 6: Add 1 red pepper, 1 leek and 2 tomatoes around the beef and cook for 5 minutes, stirring the vegetables into the caramel.
5 minStep 7: Pour in 1 cup red wine or beef stock, 2 cups hot water and the kept marinade and add 4 whole cloves and 2 bay leaves. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 2½ hours, turning the beef every 30 minutes, until a skewer slides in easily.
150 minStep 8: Lift out the beef and rest it on a board for 15 minutes. Discard the cloves and bay, then blend the sauce until smooth and simmer it uncovered for 5–10 minutes until it coats a spoon.
15 minStep 9: Slice the beef across the grain about 1 cm thick and serve with the sauce poured over, with white rice and fried ripe plantain. Chill leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3 days; reheat the slices in the sauce until steaming.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- Protein
- 50 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does asado negro take?
- About 200 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 180 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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