Mexican Beef Stew

Posted on | March 1, 2010 |

I have recently been inspired in eating food that will blow your pants off! I have always loved Mexican food but sometimes i feel like i want a change from the Nachos and Fajitas. This weekend i made a lovely Mexican Stew, It is a tomato based stew that will take a couple of hours to cook, its stewing beef, passata, with herbs, red wine vinegar and chipotle chillies.

The exciting part of this dish is the chillies, chipotle chillies are smoked dried jalapenos, they have a great flavour to them but unfortunately i am having a little trouble finding them at the moment, so i made do with a scotch bonnet instead!

The full recipe can be found on the Good Food website but if you dont want to search for it, here it is.

Ingredients

1-3 dried chipotle chillies, (see cook’s note)

4 tbsp vegetable oil

1kg chuck or braising steak, cut into 5 cm cubes

1 large Onion, finely chopped

2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped

350ml passata

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp Oregano, leaves, chopped

1 Bay leaf

boiled rice, to serve

Method

1. Pour the hot water over the chillies in a bowl and leave to soak for 30 minutes or until soft, turning them over halfway so they soak on both sides. Drain, then cut off the stems and slit the chillies open. Remove the seeds and veins before chopping the chillies finely.
2. Heat half the oil in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole over a high heat until hot. Brown half the meat for 8-10 minutes over a high heat, then remove and repeat with the remaining oil and meat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Return all the meat to the pan and pour in the passata. Add the vinegar, oregano, chopped chilli and bay leaf, and season to taste.
5. Cover and simmer on top of the stove stirring occasionally for 1 hour 30 minutes or until the beef is tender and the tomato juices well reduced. Serve with boiled rice.