Recipe: Seco de carne (Peruvian beef & coriander stew)

Lamb is not a very popular meat in my hometown. It is in the highlands, but for some reason the urbanites prefer beef. This is a beef version of the lamb seco I published a while ago. Now, I know that this will sound insane… but I decided to use kombucha instead of chicha de jora, knowing that a) the stuff is not cheap, and b) the cooking process kills the beneficial bacteria. But taste-wise it made sense. The result? I’d say I won’t be buying chicha any time soon.

I adapted this recipe from a very well known Peruvian chef. A quick note on tradition: this stew usually contains peas and is served with rice and potatoes or rice and beans. My mum used to serve it with rice and cassava prepared the way I indicate in the recipe.

Seco de carne

This is a beef version of the lamb seco I published a while ago.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Marinating time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Peruvian

Ingredients

  

• 1.5 kg gravy beef diced

Marinade

• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 1/3 cup pisco or brandy
• 1 pinch black pepper and cumin

Stew

• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 large red onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp ají amarillo powder or any other chilli, to taste
• 2 bunches coriander leaves and stalks, chopped
• 1 cup kombucha or apple cider/gluten-free beer/white wine
• 1/2 cup grated pumpkin
• 2 cups beef stock
• salt and pepper
• 2 oranges juiced

To serve

• cassava
• butter or ghee

Instructions

 

• Marinate beef with crushed garlic, pisco, pepper and cumin for at least one hour or overnight.
• Drain beef (discard marinade) and brown in a heavy-bottomed pot with one tablespoon of ghee. Reserve.
• Lower heat, and in the same pot melt another tablespoon of ghee. Cook onion, minced garlic and chilli until very soft, approximately 10 minutes.
• While the aderezo is cooking, blend coriander with kombucha.
• Add pumpkin to the pot, cook for a minute, stirring often.
• Add meat, blended coriander, and stock to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and simmer covered until soft (1.5 to 2 hours).
• While you wait, boil cassava in water until soft. Drain and reserve.
• Add orange juice. Let reduce with the lid off if there's too much liquid for your liking.
• Fry cassava in butter and sprinkle with salt. Serve.

Keyword beef, coriander, Peruvian cuisine, Peruvian food, stew

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Peruvian recipes from abroad

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