Lunches
Chilean Beef and Vegetable Stew
Ingredients
- - 400 g (14 oz) beef skirt or flank steak, cut into small strips
- - 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- - 300 g (10 oz) pumpkin or squash, peeled and diced
- - 1 cup (150 g) fresh or frozen corn kernels
- - 1 onion, chopped
- - 2 cloves garlic, minced
- - 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil
- - 1 tsp ground cumin
- - 1 tsp sweet paprika
- - 500 ml (2 cups) beef stock
- - Salt and pepper, to taste
- - 4 fried eggs, to serve
Method
- Heat the oil in a large pot and brown the beef strips over high heat, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, sauté the onion and garlic until soft.
- Stir in the cumin and paprika, then add the potatoes, pumpkin and stock.
- Simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables are just tender.
- Return the beef to the pot with the corn, and mash some of the potato and pumpkin against the side of the pot to thicken.
- Simmer a further 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper.
- Serve hot, topped with a fried egg on each portion.
Introduction: Charquicán traces back to Indigenous Andean cooking, originally made with charqui (dried, salted llama or beef) pounded and simmered with squash and potatoes.
Cultural Background: Charquicán traces back to Indigenous Andean cooking, originally made with charqui (dried, salted llama or beef) pounded and simmered with squash and potatoes. Today it's a beloved everyday lunch across Chile, often finished with a fried egg on top.
Tips: Mashing part of the vegetables into the broth is what gives charquicán its thick, homey texture.
Variations: A vegetarian version replaces beef with extra pumpkin and mushrooms. Some coastal regions add shredded dried fish instead of beef. A vegetarian version substitutes mushrooms and extra pumpkin for the beef.
Appetizers
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container; freezes well for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Reheat in a covered pot over low heat, stirring occasionally, until piping hot throughout. Nutrition (approx., per serving) Approx. 420 kcal, 28g protein, 38g carbohydrate, 18g fat, 6g fiber per serving.
FAQs
Q: What does charquicán mean?
A: It comes from charqui, the Andean word for dried, salted meat originally used in the dish.
Q: Is the fried egg essential?
A: It's traditional and very common, but the stew is complete without it.