Description
Mr Uriburu sent along this favorite stew, a staple of ranch life in Argentina. He says “it is like a goulash”. You can put in whatever you have on hand. Here is the recipe for a classic, simple, never go wrong recipe, typical of Patagonia, Carbonada Criolla . This beef stew from Patagonia Argentina is slightly unusual but quite delicious. Dried fruits (apricots or raisins) sweeten the stew, as do the sweet potatoes. Tomatoes and onions, winter squash, and hearty chunks of beef round off the complex flavor of this wonderful stew.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1.5 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 can stewed tomatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
- 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 white potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 large winter squash, peeled and cubed
- 7 ounces dried apricots, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup sliced wild Patagonian mushrooms (I used white button mushrooms)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, sauté the onions, green pepper, mushrooms and garlic in the olive oil until golden and soft.
- Add the beef and cook on medium-high heat, turning to brown all sides.
- Add the stewed tomatoes, beef broth, potatoes, sugar, squash, and apricots, and lower heat to a simmer.
- Cover and simmer over low heat for one hour. Taste for seasoning, and season with salt and pepper. Add more beef broth if stew seems too thick.
- Cook for about a half hour longer, until beef is tender. Stir in the frozen corn, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more.