This recipe is an amalgamation of Cuban Carne con Papa and Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon. I made Julia's Child's recipe to a T years ago and my mom rolled her eyes saying, "Eso es carne con papa, sin papa." I felt defeated but there was something to her statement that resonated with me. The recipes are similar, although beef bourguignon is a bit more involved. I set out to find a my own version and marry the two dishes some how. This is what I came up with.
As with most of my recipes, I like to take my latin roots and mix them with my upbringing in the United States. Cuban carne con papa is a comfort food my mom used to make. It reminds me of my childhood and of sitting at the dinner table with my parents.
cuban carne con papa meets beef bourguignon recipe
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon cut into lardons
- 3 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 pounds stewing beef cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 large carrots sliced
- 1 large white onion sliced
- ½ cup of fresh white mushrooms chopped
- 2 cloves smashed garlic
- 4 Idaho potatoes cut into 1-2 inch squares
- 1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour separated
- 3 cups red wine like a chianti
- 2 ½ to 3 ½ cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 herb bouquet 4 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf
- Chopped Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. In a large dutch oven, cook your bacon and once crisp remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Dry the beef with a few paper towels for better browning. Add the olive oil to the rendered bacon fat and in batches, sear the beef on all sides in the Dutch oven at medium high heat. Set aside with the bacon.
- Add onions, carrots, garlic and mushrooms to the same dutch oven you just cooked your meat and bacon in and saute until tender for about 3 minutes.
- Add the bacon and beef back to the pot. Add chopped potatoes, season with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and ¼ teaspoon ground pepper. Toss. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoon flour and toss once more. Place in the center of the oven for 4 minutes.
- Remove pot from oven; toss beef and place back in the oven for 4 more minutes. Remove the pot from the oven and reduce the heat to 325°F.
- To the pot, add the wine and stock. The liquid should barely cover the meat and vegetables. Add the tomato paste, herb bouquet and cumin. Bring to a light simmer on the stove, then cover and simmer in the lower part of the oven for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is easily pierced.
- Remove the pot from the oven and using a slotted spoon, remove the meat and vegetables from the dutch oven and place into a casserole dish and allow the meat to rest. Throw away herb bouquet. Using a strainer, strain the remaining liquid onto a small pot over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of flour.
- Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until it thickens and there are no lumps. Then pour gravy over meat and vegetables that are resting in a casserole dish. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with fluffy white rice, mixed green salad or even some mashed potatoes.
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