Puchero: A Mexican-Inspired Spanish Stew with Beef

It’s finally February, and I’ve been dreaming of a warm vacay that includes delicious food.
And, when I say “dream”, I am literally finding myself falling asleep at night thinking of the nearest Crab Shack.

I’ve spoken to so many people about the places to go for the best cuisines, and you wouldn’t believe the responses that I get, everyone has an opinion:

some are die-hard Southern fans, and, even though they gripe about the heat and humidity, they sing only praises for the hospitality and grub.

Others are strictly East-Coasters, reminiscing about the lobster and fish and chips.

“I wouldn’t even bother with those warm-water lobsters down in Florida, just go for the cold water ones out East.”

Seriously, SO. MANY. OPTIONS.

Thankfully, I have a bazillion children and milk cows that keep me here at the fort, so, I have plenty of time to plan my All-Over-The-Place-Culinary-Vacation.

In the meantime?

I use what I have: BEEF

to make what sounded warm, and exciting: Puchero.

This transported me to warmer waters and a land of fiestas.

“Puchero” is a Spanish stew that hails from Spanish-speaking countries and colonies, and is traditionally made with some cut of pork, beef, or maybe a chicken thrown in for good measure, and chick peas (garbanzo beans, I used canned).

Being a true peasant dish, it is cooked with readily available root vegetables and thriftier cuts of meat.

Cooked low and slow for a few hours (this is not an all day stew), the meat becomes tender, the broth flavorful, and at the the end, you throw in any combination of vegetables, one at time to avoid mushiness, and cook just until done.

Simple ingredients.

Clean out your refrigerator.

No thickening or fussing, just a great hardy dish that can be eaten for days (I serve mine over rice).

This version is a adapted from Hank Shaw, an outdoor enthusiast and chef, and he puts a Mexican spin on it with hot peppers and corn on the cob thrown in.

“I was skeptical of this at first, and did it only because really all the recipes do. My inner voice was like, ‘Sigh, this is going to make this hard to eat.’

I was wrong. By leaving the corn on the cob, the cobs add a touch of sweet to the stew, and when you pick up the pieces at the end and gnaw on them, it’s like a little dessert. I’m convinced.”

-Hank Shaw

So am I!

I used a combination of already cut up beef stew meat and left-over chuck roast for the meat, butternut squash, potatoes and cabbage for some of the veggies, and dried, smoked peppers for the heat.

Give this a shot with whatever you have on hand, serve it over rice (or not) and garnish it with sliced avocado and cilantro (or fresh parsley, if you’re in the “Cilantro tastes like soap” group), and a squeeze of lime!

And get transported south of the border for a little while, and pretend there’s not snow out your window.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds beef stew or shoulder meat, left whole on/off the bone, or cut into bite-sized chunks

• Salt

SEASONINGS

• 1 teaspoon oregano, Mexican if possible

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon ground anise or 1 star anise, optional

• 2-inch piece of cinnamon, or pinch of cinnamon, optional

• Pinch of saffron, optional

VEGETABLES

• 6 cloves garlic, whole and peeled

• 1 white or yellow onion, sliced

• 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, cut into chunks

• 1 pound winter squash, cut into chunks

• 4 Anaheim or poblano chiles, roasted, seeded and cut into chunks (I used smoked and dried)

• 3 ears of corn, cut into 1 or 2 inch rounds

• 1/2 pound green beans or cabbage, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 1 pound cooked garbanzo beans, canned or pre-cooked

• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, or fresh parsley

• Lime wedges to serve

Instructions:

1) Salt the meat well and place in a large preheated pot with a dash of olive oil or butter. Brown aggressively and then add about 1 gallon of water, more or less is fine.

2) Bring this to a boil and skim off the froth that floats to the surface. Drop the heat to a simmer and add the garlic and all the seasonings. Simmer, partially covered, for 3 hours.

3) Check the meat after 2 to 2.5 hours to see if it’s tender. Remove the meats and strip off any meat if still on the bone, chopping it into bite-sized pieces, if not already. Discard any bones. If there is marrow in the bones, scoop it out and add it to the stew.

4) Add in the potatoes and onions. Let these simmer 20 minutes.

5) Add the winter squash and simmer 20 more minutes. Add the green chiles or other peppers , corn, garbanzo beans and green beans or cabbage, and cook another 10 minutes.

6) Spoon over rice if desired, add the cilantro and serve with lime wedges. A drizzle of really good olive oil is also very nice.