Stewed Beef with Vegetables
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Beef shin or shoulder, cubed — 1 kg (2.2 lb)
- Potatoes, chopped — 2
- Squash, chopped — 1
- Corn cob, cut into rounds — 1
- Onion, quartered — 1
- Tomatoes, chopped — 2
- Water — 2 L (8 1/3 cups)
- Salt — to taste
Method
- Place the beef and onion in a large pot with the water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the beef begins to soften.
- Add the potatoes, squash, corn, and tomatoes.
- Continue simmering for 40-45 minutes, until the beef and vegetables are fully tender.
- Season with salt and serve hot, in deep bowls.
Introduction: A hearty one-pot stew of beef and mixed vegetables, reflecting the Spanish cocido tradition adapted to New World ingredients and imported cattle.
Cultural Background: Cattle, introduced to the Americas by Spanish colonisers, thrived across vast grazing lands and became central to colonial diets, and puchero — a stew descended from the Spanish cocido tradition — was adapted to include New World vegetables like squash, corn, and potato.
Tips: Cutting the beef into even chunks helps it cook uniformly over the long simmer.
Variations: A little rice can be added toward the end of cooking to thicken the stew.
Nutrition: Approx. 420 kcal per serving.
FAQs:
Q: What is Spanish cocido?
A: A traditional Spanish one-pot stew of meat, chickpeas, and vegetables, which colonial cooks adapted using New World ingredients like squash, corn, and potato in place of some Old World staples.
Q: Can this be made with chicken instead?
A: Yes, chicken makes a lighter, equally traditional variation of this style of stew.
- Beef shin or shoulder, cubed — 1 kg (2.2 lb)
- Potatoes, chopped — 2
- Squash, chopped — 1
- Corn cob, cut into rounds — 1
- Onion, quartered — 1
- Tomatoes, chopped — 2
- Water — 2 L (8 1/3 cups)
- Salt — to taste
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