This is one of our most favorite meals. My husband could eat it several times a week and never complain. The meal is quite a humble one. There aren’t any fancy or expensive ingredients. But you don’t need either because this dinner is crazy good. Basically all it is steak cut up into bite size pieces cooked in a spice red chile sauce, served with refried or mashed beans and corn tortillas. This recipe is quite easy prepare. But I should warn you that it is very spicy, though you could of course cut down the amount of chiles.
PrintMexico On My Plate: Steak in Spicy Red Salsa
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings 1x
Description
A spicy steak stew featuring tender beef cooked in a vibrant red chile sauce, perfect for warming up on a cold winter’s night.
Ingredients
- 500 gm or 1 lb steak or tender beef cut of choice, cut into bite size pieces
- 4 dried chiles de arbol or Arbol Chiles
- 2 fresh red chiles, stems removed
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 medium tomatoes, stem removed
- 1 small white onion, peeled and halved
- 1-2 tbs olive or vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp cumin seed
- 1 tsp dried oregano, Mexican variety is best
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. salt, or adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp sweet pimenton or paprika, for extra color
Instructions
- Place the chiles, garlic, tomatoes, and onion in a small pot of boiling water. Allow to simmer until the tomato begins to peel, and the onion and chiles begin to soften, about 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a blender, combine the boiled chiles, garlic, tomatoes, onion, and 1 cup of water. Blend until you have a smooth salsa. Season with salt to taste.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the steak pieces and cook until browned on all sides, about 5-7 minutes.
- Pour the blended salsa over the browned steak in the pan. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and let it cook for another 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken.
- Serve hot with refried or mashed beans and warm corn tortillas.
Notes
For a milder dish, reduce the number of chiles de arbol. Serve with refried or mashed beans and corn tortillas for a complete meal. This dish can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 30
- Carbohydrates: 15
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 30
- Cholesterol: 75
The result is a thick stew like meal that will fill up your body and keep you warm on a cold winter’s night. Buen provecho or enjoy!
I made this last night and it was a HUGE hit. I was able to double the recipe and it was flavorful. My friends and I are chile-heads so I tripled the chile de arbol peppers. I added parboiled potatoes during the last 15 minutes, because one of my favorite Mexican restaurants (that closed) did that to their recipe. I’m looking forward to having the leftovers for lunch. Thanks for a great recipe.
I tripled the chile de arbol too, Drake. Parboiled potatoes work but I’ve also done chunks of yuca the same way and it’s a solid swap. The starch soaks up the sauce better, honestly. Leftovers over corn tortillas for next-day tacos are the move.