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Charquicán (Traditional Chilean Stew)

Charquicán (Traditional Chilean Stew) is a traditional Chilean recipe for a classic stew of minced meat and mixed vegetables cooked in a vegetable stock base. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Chilean version of: Traditional Chilean Stew (Charquicán).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

35 minutes

Total Time:

55 minutes

Serves:

6

Rating:

Tags : Spice RecipesBeef RecipesVegetable RecipesChile Recipes

This hearty stew is a traditional Chilean dish. Most Chileans today use beef roast, but traditionally the stew is made using dried beef or llama meat. The recipe below calls for a pinch of salt, cumin and black pepper. Note that a chef's pinch is how much you can lift between your thumb and first three fingers. I've added squash or pumpkin to the recipe below. Note that this was, traditionally, an autumn addition to the stew. What you add is really what's available and seasonal. I've added a few suggestions below, but please feel free to mix and match. Sometimes the portions were topped with a boiled egg, though traditionally this was used to add more protein to leftovers served as breakfast.

Ingredients:

500g minced beef, or your choice of protein. (To be more authentic, 225g of dried meat.)
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
500g of squash or pumpkin
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp oregano
4-6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
80g sweetcorn kernels
80g peas
80g cooked beans
(other vegetables might be carrots, green beans, greens etc)
500ml of vegetable stock
A pinch each of ground cumin, salt, and freshly-ground black pepper (or to taste)
1 egg per portion (optional)

Method:

Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot add a little oil and use to fry the onion until soft (about 6 minutes).

Add the meat and stir-fry to cook for about 5 minutes. Now add the squash and potatoes and scatter over the oregano, cumin and paprika. Season to taste with salt and black pepper then mix the ingredients together and pour over the stock.

Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes then, using a fork, mash the potatoes and squash while stirring together.

Add your choice of seasonal vegetables and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and portion out.

For a heartier meal serve with salsa pebre and marraquetas.