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Carne con papas
Beef and potato stew
Carne con papas: Cuban beef and potato stew with olives and sofrito
Carne con papas is the weeknight stew of countless Cuban homes, from Santa Clara to Havana: chunks of beef simmered in a tomato sofrito with cumin and oregano, then potatoes and green olives added until the sauce turns thick and savoury. It is served with white rice and perhaps a few slices of avocado. Many cooks add potatoes at the start and end up with mush; they go in for the last 30 minutes. Chef's tip: brown the beef well in two batches; that dark crust is where most of the flavour in the sauce comes from.
- Total time
- 110 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb beef chuckcut into 4 cm cubes
- 1 ½ tsp saltdivided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 1 green pepperchopped
- 5 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 14 oz tomato passata
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 ½ lb potatoespeeled, cut into 4 cm chunks
- 2 ⅞ oz pimento-stuffed green oliveshalved
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Season 2 ¼ lb beef chuck with half the ¾ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a heavy pot over a medium-high heat and brown the beef in two batches, 6 minutes each, until well coloured. Lift out.
12 minStep 2: Lower the heat to medium and cook 1 onion and 1 green pepper for 7 minutes until soft. Add 5 garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp dried oregano for 1 minute.
8 minStep 3: Return the beef with 14 oz tomato passata, 2 cups beef stock and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 1 hour, until the beef is nearly tender.
60 minStep 4: Add 1 ½ lb potatoes, 2 ⅞ oz pimento-stuffed green olives and the rest of ¾ tsp salt. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the beef breaks with a spoon. Uncover for the last 10 minutes if the sauce is thin.
30 minStep 5: Rest for 10 minutes, remove the bay leaves and serve with white rice. It tastes even better the next day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does carne con papas take?
- About 110 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- 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 cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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