Ingredients
Beef
- ½ medium onion for the beef simmer
- 4 garlic cloves smashed
- 3 ½ lb boneless beef short ribs 3–4 lb works for the base recipe; cut into 4-inch pieces
1 bay leaf- 3 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1 3/4 teaspoons Morton for the base recipe
water enough to barely cover beef; reserve 3 cups broth for the base recipe
Stew
- 1 lb red potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil- 1 ½ medium onions coarsely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
2 lb tomatoes coarsely chopped- 6 oz tomatillos about 3 medium; husked, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper seeded and coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper seeded and coarsely chopped- 1 small jalapeño finely chopped
- 6 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 3 1/2 teaspoons Morton for the base recipe
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander- freshly ground black pepper to taste
To serve
- cilantro sprigs for serving
Instructions
- Put the beef in a large pot with the half onion, smashed garlic, bay leaf and beef salt. Add water to barely cover. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 3 hours, skimming the surface as needed, until the beef is nearly fork-tender.
- Lift out the beef. Strain the cooking liquid, reserve 3 cups for the base recipe and discard the cooked onion, garlic and bay leaf.
- Cook the potatoes in a separate pot of boiling salted water for 8–10 minutes, until tender, then drain.
- As the beef nears the end of its first simmer, heat the olive oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, chopped garlic, tomatoes, tomatillos, bell peppers, jalapeño and stew salt. Cook for 18–22 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, coriander and black pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring, until the mixture becomes thick and pasty.
- Add the beef, potatoes and reserved broth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 65–75 minutes, until the beef yields easily and the sauce has thickened. Stir occasionally and lower the heat if it catches.
- Let the stew stand briefly off the heat. Taste, adjust the seasoning and finish with cilantro.
Notes
Makes 4–6 servings; the serving adjustment starts at 6. Plan for more than four hours of simmering and preparation.
The salt is divided between the first beef simmer and the vegetable sauce. Taste the reserved broth and finished stew before adding any more.
Scale the reserved broth with the servings: the base recipe uses 3 cups.
