Carne Guisada (Puerto Rican Stewed Beef)

Ingredients:

For the Adobo:
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp white vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper

For the Guisado:
1.4kg beef chuck roast or boneless short ribs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 5cm pieces
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed
250ml fresh sofrito
1 tbsp sazon seasoning
375ml beef stock (or water), plus more if needed
400g tin whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
3 dried bay leaves
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 large celery stick, chopped
500g waxy potatoes, peeled and chopped
Cooked white rice, to accompany

Method:

For the adobo: Simply combine all the adobo ingredients in a small bowl, or if you like a finer texture blend in a food processor or by pounding in a mortar with a pestle.

Now prepare the guisado: Pat the meat dry and place in a medium lidded bowl or a resealable bag. Evenly coat with the adobo and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or in the refrigerator overnight.

Place a large, lidded, heavy-based pot over high heat. Add the vegetable oil, then, working in batches to prevent over-crowding the pan add the beef, shaking loose any additional adobo beforehand. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, turning often to brown evenly. Transfer the meat to a clean bowl and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and pour in the sofrito, adding more olive oil as needed if the pan becomes too dry. Fry for 5 to 7 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated.

Scatter over the sazón and fry for 1 minute. Add the stock (or water), tomatoes (and their juices), and bay leaves, and scrape up any browned bits from the base of the pan using a wooden spoon.

Nestle the meat into sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, then cover with a lid and cook gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Add the carrot and celery, then cook, covered, for 1 more hour, adding more water or stock as needed. At this stage, check the tenderness of the meat. It should start to get close to falling apart when pressed with the back of a spoon.

Add potatoes and cook, covered, for 30 minutes more, until meat and potatoes are cooked through and tender.

Adjust the salt to taste, and serve on a warmed plate or in a shallow bowl over a mound of white rice.

If using short rib meat, which tend to be fattier, you’ll get a richer, darker, more velvety sauce. It’s a matter of taste, and both yield delicious results.