Carne Guisada

Name: Carne Guisada
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Salvadoran
Ingredients: 1kg beef chuck, cubed; 3 tomatoes, chopped; 1 onion, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 green bell pepper, diced; 2 potatoes, cubed; 2 carrots, sliced; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp achiote paste; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 500ml beef broth; Salt and pepper; Cilantro for garnish

Carne Guisada (KAR-neh ghee-SAH-dah)

Salvadoran Beef Stew

⏱ Prep Time 1 hour 30 min

📈 Difficulty Medium

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 410 kcal

Tender beef chunks braised in a tomato and pepper sauce with potatoes and carrots, seasoned with cumin and achiote. Hearty everyday comfort food.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 34.0g

Carbs 28.0g

Fat 18.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

dairy-free nut-free

Equipment Needed

Dutch oven or heavy pot wooden spoon sharp knife

Presentation Guide

Vessel: deep plate

Garnishes: cilantro, lime wedge

Accompaniments: white rice, corn tortillas

Ingredients

1kg beef chuck, cubed
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, sliced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp achiote paste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
500ml beef broth
Salt and pepper
Cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1
Season beef with cumin, achiote paste, salt, and pepper. Let marinate fifteen minutes while preparing vegetables.
2
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Sear beef in batches until well browned on all sides, about four minutes.
3
Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook until softened, about five minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until they break down.
4
Pour in beef broth, scraping up browned bits. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook forty-five minutes.
5
Add potatoes and carrots. Continue cooking twenty minutes until vegetables are tender and sauce has thickened.
6
Garnish with cilantro and serve with steamed white rice and warm corn tortillas.

💡

Did You Know?

Carne guisada is one of the first dishes Salvadoran children learn to cook, considered a rite of passage in learning traditional home cooking.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

Dutch oven or heavy pot
wooden spoon
sharp knife

Garnishing

cilantro, lime wedge

Accompaniments

white rice, corn tortillas

The Story Behind Carne Guisada

Carne guisada is everyday Salvadoran home cooking at its finest, a dish that appears on dinner tables across the country multiple times per week. The Spanish guisar technique of braising meat in sauce merged with indigenous ingredients like tomatoes and achiote to create this distinctly Central American stew. Unlike the elaborate weekend soups, carne guisada is practical weeknight food that comes together relatively quickly and stretches a modest amount of meat with abundant vegetables.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed lunch or dinner with rice and tortillas 📜 Origins: Colonial Salvadoran

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