Seco de Carne
Seco de Carne is another one of my favorite dishes from Los Cabos in downtown Denver. It consists of chunks of stewing beef seared then braised in beer and a cilantro pepper sauce. The sugars in the beer help break down the connective tissues in the meat. The meat is then served over rice, usually with a side of beans or boiled yellow potato. This is a great one pot meal that takes minimal effort to make.There are a couple of cuts beef that will work well with this dish. Chuck, bottom round, shank meat, and arm roast are all acceptable choices. Avoid using top round, eye of round, and sirloin tip. They are too lean for this dish.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2-3 lbs chuck roast cubed
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 onion diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 cups chicken or beef stock
- 1 cup beer lager
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 3 serrano peppers seeded
- 1/4 cup chicken or beef stock
Instructions
- Cut up chuck into 1 1/2” cubes. Season with salt.
- Heat up 2 tbsp ofcooking oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Sear the beef on all sides for 4 minutes in total.
- Cook the beef in 2 batches, making sure that the pot isn’t overcrowded. Put in a bowl and set aside.
- Add the other 2 tbsp of cooking oil to th Dutch oven. Turn the heat down to medium high. Add in the onions. Cook for 5 minutes until translucent.
- Add in the garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add in the cumin, paprika, and salt. Cook for a minute.
- Deglaze with the beer and stock. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add in the beef.
- While the beef in simmering, add cilantro, serrano peppers, and 1/4 cup of stock to a blender or food processor.
- Purée.
- Add the cilantro purée to the beef. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Cover the beef and cook for 2 hours.
- Uncover and let cook for another 30 minutes.
