Beef stew (Carne Guisada) is a favorite in my household and one that I grew up with. Like with many recipes there are so many different ways of making it! Here is how my family makes this popular dish.

Carne Guisada

INGREDIENTS

• Over a pound of chopped beef stew meat
• 1 Onion
• Half of a tomato
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Paprika
• Half a cup of red wine
• Half a cup of water
• 5 to 7 potatoes
• Portuguese buns

DIRECTIONS

• Marinate your beef stew meat. I usually do this the night before to have the meat soak in the juices for more flavor.
  • Wash meat well.
  • Place meat in a bowl and add the following ingredients; salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, half a cup of wine and half a cup of water. Measurements for the ingredients are based on what you normally use in your meat marinating. Then mix well.
  • Leave the meat covered and in the fridge for the next day cooking.
• The following day start by washing the onions, tomato and potatoes. Chop up the onions, tomato and potatoes. Everyone has a preferred style for potatoes in their stew, we like it diced. Set the potatoes aside as you will need them later.
• Once the onions and tomato are cut, place them in a pot with some olive oil with a pinch of paprika. On low heat cook the onion and tomato until the onions are a golden color. Then add your meat with it’s sauce that you marinated with the day before.
• Let it cook on medium and stir.
• Once the meat is almost cooked, add your potatoes and a pinch of salt. This will add flavor to the potatoes you just added. If you feel that you need to add some more water then add another cup of water. Sometimes the meat soaks up a lot of the liquid as you are cooking.
• Now cook until the potatoes are cooked and you are done. If a fork goes through the potatoes then that is my sign that they are done.
• You can serve your beef stew in a bowl and if you like Portuguese buns, then provide some at the dinner table as they are great for dipping into the stew (my favorite part of the whole meal!).

And there you have it, Momma Braga’s beef stew! Give it a try and let me know what you think of it!

Until next time…Happy Parenting!

– Momma Braga