This carne guisada recipe is rich and hearty, with the perfect amount of flavorful chili heat.
Carne guisada literally means “stewed meat” in Spanish. It’s a broad term covering many regional and family variations: beef, pork, or goat; chunky or shredded textures; brothy or thick sauces; with or without potatoes and carrots. Because of that flexibility, no single recipe defines carne guisada. Most cooks prepare it the way their relatives did. Since my grandmother was Czech, I developed my own take: a beef-forward, hearty guisada with potatoes and a thicker, silky sauce.
My version uses beef chuck (or pre-cut stew meat) and a blend of warm spices plus a bright cilantro-tomato blend that’s pureed and simmered down. If you want to splurge, using high-quality stew meat—such as well-marbled wagyu stew cuts—will make the sauce even more luxurious and velvety, but the dish is excellent with standard chuck as well.
Beef Carne Guisada
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Author: Jess Pryles
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients
Scale
2 lb diced beef
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 bunch fresh cilantro
½ onion, peeled
1 serrano chili
28oz can diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons tallow or lard (can substitute for vegetable oil)
1 lb potatoes
Optional – tortillas, rice & refried beans for serving
Instructions
- Mix the salt, pepper, cumin, oregano and chipotle in a small bowl.
- Pat the beef dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle on the spice mixture, tossing to make sure all pieces are evenly coated.
- Place a heavy-bottomed pot (an enameled cast-iron pot works well) over medium-high heat and add the tallow or lard.
- Add half the beef to the hot fat and brown on all sides, about 10–15 minutes. Remove and brown the remaining beef.
- While the meat browns, combine the cilantro, onion, serrano, canned tomatoes, garlic, beef broth, and tomato paste in a blender and puree until very smooth.
- Return all the browned beef to the pot, then pour in the blended tomato-cilantro mixture.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into roughly 1.5-inch chunks. Add the potatoes to the pot.
- Bring the guisada to a boil, then reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Simmer, uncovered, for 60–90 minutes or until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened.
- Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot with warm corn tortillas, rice, and refried beans if desired.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 2 hours