I made Carne Guisada tonight and it was incredible:
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This recipe is from a friend in Texas. I haven't had this since I lived in Houston from the mid 80s to the mid 90s:
"Carne Guisada is a dish rooted deep in Texan and Mexican Heritage. It's an old school food that is basically a beef stew. The recipe is similar to the traditional beef stew, that we all know and love, but with a few differences that make it superior. This stuff is so good it will make your beard thicker and your aftershave smell better. Here's my recipe:
2 pounds of beef shoulder chuck or Tri-tip or sirloin.
1 Tablespoon of cumin
1/2 Tablespoon of Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon of your favorite chili powder(optional)
1 large onion finely diced
3 to 4 large cloves of finely diced garlic
1 small red bell pepper finely diced
1 heaping tablespoon of tomato paste
1 small can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup of flour
Vegetable oil
Ceramic coated dutch oven
Cilantro
Salsa
Flour tortilla
Salt & Pepper
2 cans of Chicken or beef broth
Pre-heat oven to 300-325 degrees. Cube meat to 3/4". Heat your dutch oven on stove to very hot. Put in 1-2 tablespoon of oil. Place meat in and don't crowd...sizzling should be heard.This may take 2 to 3 batches. DONT RUSH. DONT STIR AROUND. Let the meat get completely browned on one side then flip over to brown all sides. Remove all meat and place aside in a bowl. Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil back in pot. Throw in onion, pinch of salt and bell pepper. Put in the garlic after the onions and bell peppers are almost soft. Be sure to scrap off all the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot(fond). Its where the flavor is. Cook down for 8-10 minutes. When completely soften, add tomato paste and cook till dissolved. Add flour. Stir around till the white of the flour is gone. It should look like a red ball of pasty mess. Add cumin and pinch of chili powder till toast(blooms). Add tomato sauce, oregano, 2 -cans of chicken or beef broth. Adjust the amount of broth as needed. Place all meat in the pot. Liquids should just about cover the meat. I always like to see some poking up. Bring to a boil. Turn off stove and transfer covered dutch oven to the oven. Cook low and slow for 3 to 5 hours. I like to check for thickness every hour. If it is not as thick as you like, make a slurry of corn starch and water and put it in while cooking.
Serve on a TOASTED(toasting keeps it from falling apart) flour tortilla, add a handful of cilantro, your favorite salsa and a squeeze of lime. NO, NO's are cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!"
I used chuck and doubled the chile powder and it was perfect!
