Carne Guisada

Post Reply
User avatar
Yaklash
TKF 10,000 Club
TKF 10,000 Club
Posts: 12028
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2004 10:15 am
Location: Houston Heights

Carne Guisada

Post by Yaklash »

I got the basis of this recipe from an old Mexican woman/neighbor a few years ago and have made several batches that just weren’t right. I swear she purposely gave me the wrong amounts of certain ingredients, but I have fine-tuned it, adding more of the spices and less of the chipotle so that now it is close to what hers tastes like. The lard really makes a difference (even if it’s not pork lard), but I typically use vegetable oil. This is not complex, but it takes a while and needs to be tended to as it cooks, so don’t run off and leave it. And take the term "minced" seriously - look it up if you don't know. The vegetables really need to be minced, not fine diced

Ingredients:
2-3 Tablespoons lard; the healthier can substitute vegetable oil
2 lbs of round steak or some other stew meat, cubed to 1”
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/3 cup minced bell pepper
1/3 cup minced onion
1 medium sized tomato, minced
1 jalapeno, finely diced – seeds optional
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 of one chipotle pepper from a can in adobo sauce. Better to leave it out than use any more than that
1 jalapeno, minced – seeds optional
1 cup beef broth, as needed

Directions:
In a large dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot with a lid, heat the lard (or oil) over medium-high heat until just starting to smoke and then add the beef. Try to get it in as even a layer on the bottom as you can initially and then leave it alone long enough to brown the meat well on that side. While it is browning, add the salt and pepper. Continue to turn the meat until it is brown on all sides. Tongs work best for turning those stubborn ones that don’t want to act right. Once browned, add the flour and stir to cover all of the meat with flour and then quickly add the other spices and stir them in as well.

Add the rest of the ingredients (EXCEPT for the beef broth), and stir to combine. Cover with the lid and lower the heat to as low as it can go. Let simmer for 2-3 three hours, checking/stirring the first time in 10 minutes and then every 20-30 minutes or so after that to be sure it is not burning to the bottom. If it is sticking to the bottom, add ¼ cup of beef broth and stir it in, scraping the bottom of the build-up. Cook 10-15 minutes after you add the last of the beef broth, or until it is of a thick gravy-consistency.

Serve in fresh flour tortillas. I suggest the ones that come uncooked and you cook in a skillet before eating. Guerrero makes one available at Kroger and I hear HEB has some.
User avatar
Chubs
Posts: 680
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 10:54 am

Re: Carne Guisada

Post by Chubs »

I tried this recipe out with a venison ham we had lying around. Was very tasty!

Meat came out a little tough but I think it was the venison. Probably would have done better in a pressure cooker but not sure how to convert the recipe to pressure cooker.
User avatar
Yaklash
TKF 10,000 Club
TKF 10,000 Club
Posts: 12028
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2004 10:15 am
Location: Houston Heights

Re: Carne Guisada

Post by Yaklash »

Chubs wrote:I tried this recipe out with a venison ham we had lying around. Was very tasty!

Meat came out a little tough but I think it was the venison. Probably would have done better in a pressure cooker but not sure how to convert the recipe to pressure cooker.
I typically use some kind of beef roast.

My goal this year is to convert the recipe to my Instant Pot pressure cooker. Should be simple enough and cut the cooking time to a third. I have a time conversion chart and I have done enough things in the Instant Pot to know how to braise and sauté in it.

But this is something I like to make when I have a long list of honey-dos around the house, so it's no trouble to go stir the pot every 20-30 minutes.
Post Reply