Sylvia Casares’s Frontera Carne Guisada
Get on the gravy train.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 3 guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 chile de árbol, stem removed
- 1 cup chopped white onion
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- ½ cup chopped bell pepper
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons Holy Trinity*
- ¼ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 2–3 bay leaves
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Directions
- In a large saucepan, combine the meat with 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Skim the froth, then cover and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the chiles with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Let cool.
- In a blender, process the chiles and their liquid until you have a smooth sauce, about 1 minute. Pass the sauce through a strainer, and reserve ½ cup of the liquid.
- To the meat in the saucepan, add the onion, tomato, and bell pepper. Stir in the ½ cup chile liquid, tomato sauce, Holy Trinity, oregano, bay leaves, and salt.
- Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and stir until golden in color. Remove from heat and add a small amount of liquid from the stew pot and stir to remove any lumps.
- When the meat is tender, whisk in the flour mixture. Stir occasionally while simmering for about an hour, or until the stew is thickened. Serve immediately.
Notes
*In a spice grinder, combine 3 peeled garlic cloves, 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds, and 1¼ teaspoons peppercorns, along with 1 tablespoon water. Process into a smooth paste.