What better than a comforting bowl of stew on a cool fall night…
Apparently that’s been a theme here lately!
And last night’s dinner, another recipe from my beloved Oaxaca al Gusto, did not disappoint 🙂
Perfect too since The Man and I decided to stay in and watch scary movies in lieu of dressing up and going out… we felt kind of guilty about it at first but it definitely ended up being the perfect choice for us. With all that has been going on lately it was just what we needed!
Asado de res (Beef Stew)
Here’s what I started with:
Onion, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, scotch bonnet pepper, Mexican oregano, cloves, olive oil.
Simply add the onion and garlic to a pot with some olive oil for about 5 minutes. Then in goes the beef. I chose a local grass-fed stew meat from the farmer’s market.
Season with salt, pepper, oregano and cloves. Cover and let cook over medium until beef it browned, about 10 minutes.
Then add the tomatoes, potatoes, scotch bonnet (which I toasted like this) and some water.
Cover and let cook over medium-low for another hour or two. I let it go two since we had the time, gotta love cooking on the weekends 😀
To serve with the stew I took a stab at some homemade tortillas.
They may look pretty but I definitely have some work to do on these, the texture was just not quite right. I think I need a tortilla press (hello Christmas present ideas ehh hmmm 😉 )
Tortilla Fail.
Beef Stew WIN.
Served with some fresh steamed broccoli, which the farmer at the market advised soaking in salt water prior to cooking because there could be “critters” in there… hmmmm don’t know how I feel about that 😉
No critters here. Phew.
But back to the stew, which had the perfect amount of heat. Love these scotch bonnets, they have not only a spiciness but also great flavor. The meat and potatoes were fall apart tender. Plus the Mexican oregano and cloves gave the stew a flavor like I have never tasted…
Upon further research I learned that Mexican oregano is in fact stronger than your familiar Mediterranean oregano. It also carries notes of citrus and mild licorice, which could explain it. I loved it!
I also had another kitchen adventure yesterday prepping for the upcoming week, here’s a little hint 😉
I have a problem.
I promised The Man that I’d try to work in some more “traditional” fall meals soon… this Mexican obsession may turn us into chili peppers at this rate if not! 😛
Beef Stew (Mexican Style)
If you’re looking for a twist on the traditional beef stew, I highly recommend trying this recipe. I made a few minor changes to the original Diana Kennedy recipe:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb. stew meat
- 4 tomatoes, chopped
- 7 red potatoes, sliced thick
- 1 heaping tsp Mexican oregano
- 3 cloves, crushed
- 1 tblsp olive oil
- sea salt
- black pepper
- 1/2 cup water
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil, about 5 minutes. Add meat and spices, cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, potatoes and water – cover and cook for another hour or two, stirring occasionally. Add in additional water as necessary depending on what consistency you like.
I’m sure this would work great in the crockpot as well. I’d probably brown the meat before adding and reduce the amount of water a bit.
How is it Sunday already? 😛
CookinFanatic 
