Comforting and Delicious {Classic Carne Guisada}

When you hear "stewed meat" you might not immediately think "that's something that I'd love to eat." However, "carne guisada" (KAR-nay ghee-SAH-dah) , on the other hand, beckons with the promise of something a bit exotic and interesting. Trust me, carne guisada, literally translated "stewed meat", is one of those things that is so much more than the sum of its parts. As with many delicious stews, carne guisada is peasant food - the food of poverty. Take a less desirable cut of beef, onions, peppers, spices, tomatoes (and beer), let it cook low and slow for the better part of a day, and magical alchemy happens in that pot. 

When it is all said and done, you'll be left with pot of deliciousness that can be served to your family in a variety of ways. A meal in itself, served with rice and beans, it can also be a great filling for tacos (breakfast or otherwise). And, if you're lucky enough to have a bit left in the pot, it makes for a great appetizer served with some crispy tortilla chips. (I'd even stir it into some queso to extend the appetizer joy!)

I made this just recently to celebrate Texas Independence Day (which was unseasonably cold and dreary) and it was not only delicious, but also so warming and comforting. You certainly don't need to wait for a holiday to make this and I certainly won't either!

Classic Carne Guisada

• 5 lbs. boneless beef chuck roast, cut into approx. 1" cubes
• 2 Tbsp bacon drippings, divided (or if you aren't a grease saver, canola oil)
• 1 1/5 C. diced white onion
• 2 jalapeno peppers, deseeded and diced
• 1 serrano pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 24 oz. diced tomato (either fresh plum tomatoes or canned, drained)
• 1.5 Tbsp cumin (cominos)
• 1.5 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bottle of beer - preferably a dark Texas or Mexican brew
• 2 C water
• 2 Tbsp flour

1. In a large, heavy dutch oven, heat (over medium high heat) one tablespoon of the bacon drippings (or oil) and brown the beef cubes on all sides. (This may require several batches. Remove browned beef cubes to another bowl to hold until later.) After all cubes have been browned, pour liquid from bottom of pan into bowl with the cubes. (There is flavor in this brown sauce - don't lose it!)
2. Heat second tablespoon of bacon drippings in the pot. Add onions & peppers and cook until the onions begin to caramelize and brown. (about 10 minutes.) Add garlic and cook briefly (so garlic doesn't become bitter; about 30 seconds).
3. Return browned beef to the dutch oven and add the rest of the ingredients to the pot. Stir well and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
4. Allow to simmer, uncovered for about 4-5 hours. Remove 1/4 cup of broth to a small bowl and whisk in 2 tbsp of flour. Return mixture to the pot of stew, stir well and allow to thicken the stew a bit.
5. Serve with fresh, flour tortillas and enjoy!

This was one of those dishes that I was a bit unsure of as it was cooking; it didn't seem right somehow - the smell wasn't exactly right and the stew seemed thinish, like a soup. But, my patience was rewarded as the end result was out of this world fantastic!  It makes a good amount, so we'll be enjoying this in a variety of ways over the course of a few days - I love it when that happens!

Happy Cooking!

sld

Farmers' Market Friday - Fall is in the Air {Beer-braised Beef Short Ribs & Garlic Mashed Potatoes}

For a while now (perhaps the past 2 years or so), I've been noticing that beef short ribs are all over the place in cooking magazines and cookbooks. I've been wanting to give them a whirl and the promise of a cool front coming was just the incentive to make it happen. 

Not being well-versed in beef short ribs, (or beef ribs, in general - our family has always been more about the pork ribs than the beef) I decided to do a little research on the cut and how it is generally prepared. According to that research, beef short ribs are cut from the rib and plate primals. Typically, you'll find them in rib strips that are about 8-9 in by 3in and vary from 3-5 in thick. Being ribs, they include about 4 flat bones. These can be cut apart to make individual rib pieces which makes for easier browning, cooking, and serving.They are meatier than their pork counterparts and have a good balance of meat and fat. 

While there are many ways to prepare these short ribs - many cultures grill them - it is that combination of meat and fat (and connective tissues) that make this cut of meat perfect for braising. Braising is a combination of cooking methods that uses both dry and moist heat and relies on three variables, time, heat, and moisture, to break down the collagen in the cut of meat to produce a tender, succulent, fall-off-the-bone deliciousness. Many classic peasant dishes (eg. coq au vin) use slow braising to tenderize a tough, less palatable (and typically, less expensive) meat into something amazing. You might think this sounds complicated but really, if you're a fan of the slow cooker, it is likely that you've employed the technique of braising in your cookery.

After reviewing a passel of recipes for braised short ribs, I had the general gist of the method and set out to make (what I would hope to be) a rave worthy dinner.

Ingredients from the market:

Beef short ribs from Mike Kelley Ranch

Onions

Tomato

Olive Oil

Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs

• 2 lbs beef short ribs, cut into 1-rib pieces
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 2 ribs of celery, chopped
• 4 medium carrots, sliced into 1/2"thick slices
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 tomato, cored and chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bottle of dark beer of your choice
• 1 C beef stock
• 1 1/2 C white mushrooms, quartered
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced 
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp flour (all purpose)

1. Preheat oven to 300F.
2. Generously season the rib pieces with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over high heat. Brown ribs in batches (you want a nice brown crispness. If you over load the pot, they will steam instead of browning nicely). Transfer browned ribs to a rimmed pan or dish.
3. To the hot oil and drippings, add onion, garlic, carrot, celery and tomato. Cook until slightly browned (about 4 minutes or so). Add bay leaf, beef stock and beer. Bring mixture to a simmer. Add ribs back to the Dutch oven (along with any juices that are in the pan or dish.)Once the pot has returned to a simmer, cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is tender (test with a fork) and about to fall off the bone.(2 1/2 to 3 hours).
4. Once ribs are fall off the bone tender, remove ribs from braising liquid and place in an oven proof dish/pan. Cover and return to a 200F oven to keep warm while you complete the sauce. Using a ladle skim excess fat off of the sauce and then bring the mixture to a simmer; reduce the liquid by 1/4th or so.
5. In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously to create a quick roux (thickener for the sauce). Whisk roux into the reduced sauce and simmer on low for about 5 minutes or so to thicken up the sauce.
6. In a large saute pan, heat remaining olive oil. Add mushroom and green onions and saute until mushrooms brown a bit (about 5 minutes). Add mushrooms and onion mixture to the braising liquid. Place warm ribs back into the braising sauce over low heat until ready to plate.

A dish like this requires a good, hearty foundation - for me, that foundation is garlic mashed potatoes! We usually only have these on Thanksgiving & Christmas for some unknown reason. So, I knew it would be a big treat for the family to find these on the menu.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

• 2 lb yukon gold potatoes, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 C heavy cream
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 tsp salt

1. In a large saucepan, place potatoes and garlic and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and keep a slow boil to cook potatoes until fork-tender (about 20 minutes).
2. Once potatoes are cooked, drain in a colander and shake to remove as much water as possible. If you have a potato ricer, pass potatoes through it and back into the sauce pan.. Melt butter. Add cream and melted butter to the riced potatoes and then stir to mix well with a large spoon or spatula. Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste. (If you do not have a ricer, add 1/2 the liquid and mix with an electric hand-mixer until smooth. Add rest of liquid and continue to mix until liquid is completely incorporated.)

Putting it all together - 

To serve, dish a generous serving of potatoes into the center of individual plate or large bowl. Top with 2-3 rib pieces and then with a ladle of the thickened braising sauce and vegetables. Serve and enjoy!

My! Oh my! This dish is everything you'd want to welcome fall. Warm, comforting, mashed potatoes topped with fall-off-the-bone, tender meat. The meat itself was fantastically flavored and just soaked up the braising liquid in that long slow cooking. Top that off with the richness and vegetable sweetness of the sauce - enhanced with the mushrooms and onions and you've got quite an impressive meal that (aside from the browning & sauce making) happens in the 3 hours in the oven. The family definitely approved. The funny thing is that while I was cooking this dish, I kept having a feeling of deja vu...a feeling like this is something I've done before, when I surely had not. Upon looking at this dish and getting one whiff, my sweet daughter, T, said, "Is this beef bourguignon?!" *That* was it - so similar in method and ingredients, these beer-braised beef ribs are the Texas cousin to that Fraunchy dish! I highly recommend you give this a try - head out to the market and grab some of those short ribs - it will make for a great "hello fall" meal.

Happy Cooking!

sld

Disclosure: I was invited by Wolf Ranch Farmer's Market to visit and meet the vendors and was provided Market Money with which to purchase ingredients for use in the Farmers' Market Friday posts.  I was not compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own.

Barbacoa a La Güera

Barbacoa. Sound familiar? Even if you're not from Texas, it should. It is the word from which barbeque was derived. While the method comes to us from the Caribbean via Mexico, the interpretation of exactly what it is and how it's done is very loose. To those of us from around these parts, it is the delectable, unctuous filling for tacos made from....wait for it....a whole cow's head, slow-cooked until it literally falls off the bone. Historically cooked in a pit dug in the ground, and sold at markets only on weekends because of the labor intensive process, the barbacoa of today is more likely beef cheek meat that is slow cooked in an oven or on a grill as health department regulations frown upon the dirt pit and the little episode of mad cow has made obtaining a whole cow's head more difficult than it previously was. Typically, I'm not a huge fan of offal bits. There are some things I do enjoy (like fried chicken gizzards) but for the most part, I steer (sorry for the pun) clear of "variety meats" or other unusual cuts. However, it is these off-cast parts, these peasant foods, that are, often times, some of the best tasting, most surprisingly fabulous foods you'll ever have.

 As I've mentioned before, one of my previous careers afforded me the opportunity to be surrounded by amazing people of amazingly diverse cultures. It is there that I squeamishly listened to my friend and colleague, Gracie, regale me with stories of going to the market on the weekend with her father to get barbacoa. The purveyors were very proud of their product and to prove its freshness and quality, would offer her father an "ojo" or eyeball. Additionally, she spoke of the add-ons that could be purchased: sesos (brains) and lengua (tongue). The stories scared me away from this delicacy for far too long and it wasn't until I returned home from our stint living in Massachusetts that I finally got up the nerve  decided that I would give it a chance. Boy, am I glad I did. This stuff is delicious - tender, almost silky in texture, fabulously flavored meat topped with a few pickled onions and maybe a bit of shredded cotija cheese nestled in a super fresh, tender corn tortilla? one of the best things you'll ever eat.

Because so many places only serve this on the weekends, I decided to try to make it at home. I didn't imagine that El Syd would help me dig a pit in the back yard, nor would he help me to procure a whole cow's head, so beef cheeks and the oven it would have to be. 

What follows is what I've named barbacoa a la güera or white-girl's barbacoa. Try it out and let me know what you think.

Barbacoa a La Güera

• 2.5 lbs beef cheek meat (locally I find this at my HEB Plus; La Michoacana also has this available, if there is one near you. If not, beef brisket would be a good substitute)
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 1/2 C strong-brewed coffee -or- 1 tsp instant coffee granules
• 1 Tbsp peanut butter
• 1 dried ancho chili 
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tsp cominos (cumin)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil (plus more for cooking)
• 1 C broth (either beef or chicken - whatever you have on hand - water if you have neither)
• 3 limes
• For serving:
• corn tortillas
• fresh avocado(s)
• quick pickled onions (recipe to follow)
• fresh cilantro
• cotija cheese (if desired)

1. Clean and trim the beef cheeks. (Be forewarned - this meat is very dark and has a lot of connective tissue. You'll just want to remove any excess from the outside of the meat. Just as with brisket, the fat and collagen will dissolve when slowly braised resulting in that melt in your mouth, fork tender meat that you want for shredding) Place cleaned meat in a container that you will marinate them in. (I like a sealable bag.)
2. Reconstitute the ancho chili: remove stem and seeds from the ancho. Break into pieces and place in about 1/2 cup of hot water.
3. Either in a food processor or in a container deep enough for your immersion blender (my preference) place garlic, coffee (or granules), peanut butter, honey, cumin, 2 tbsp oil, and the chili and soaking water. Pulse into a paste/marinade. Pour over the meat and toss to completely cover/coat the meat. Marinate overnight if possible, but at least, 2-3 hours.
4. Once ready to cook: heat oven to 275F. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a dutch oven. Brown the meat on both sides. Use the broth to rinse the leftover marinade into the dutch oven. Add the juice of 3 limes into the pot. Cover and slow braise in the oven for 3 1/2 hours; turning the meat a couple of times to ensure even cooking in the braising liquid. If the liquid cooks away, add a bit more broth.
5. When meat is fall apart tender (check with a fork) remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Remove meat from pan and with 2 forks, pull the meat into shreds. (add a bit of the pan juices to the shredded meat - you don't want to miss out on all of that flavorful fatty deliciousness.)
6. To serve: heat tortillas (you may want to use 2 per taco for extra support). Fill with some shredded meat, a slice of avocado, some pickled onions and a little fresh cilantro and cotija cheese if you like. Serve and enjoy!

Quick Pickled Onions

• 1 thinly sliced onion (any type)
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 part water
• 2 parts cider vinegar
• a few stems of fresh cilantro
• 1/4 of a beet (or pickled beet) if you have it (will give the pickles a beautiful hot pink hue)

In a microwavable container, place all ingredients. Cover and microwave for one minute. Stir and microwave for another minute. Stir again and refrigerate overnight or at least until chilled.

While I know absolutely nothing about a slow cooker, this seems like it might be the perfect thing to do in one. Also, depending upon how many people you are serving and how many nights of leftovers you want to have, I would highly recommend doubling this recipe.

Happy Cooking!

sld