Jan 09 2008
Carne colorada / Braised beef
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Published by Laylita at 12:25 pm under All, Main dishes, Meat, South America
Carne colorada receives its name from the orangish color the meat absorbs from ground achiote or annatto seed. Carne colorada is a typical dish from the provinces of Carchi and Imbabura in northern highland region in Ecuador; it is a stove top braised beef dish marinated in beer, garlic, onion, achiote, cumin and oregano. Carne colorada is generally served with sides such as fried plantains, hominy, llapingachos or potato patties, avocado slices, rice, yuca, boiled potatoes with cheese sauce, empanadas, salad, among others. There are plenty of choices for the sides and it just depends on what you prefer and what you have available, but I would say that fried plantains, avocado, a small salad and at least one of the “starchy” sides (rice, potatoes, hominy or yuca) is required. This time I served the carne colorada with rice, fried plantains, sautéed potatoes, avocados and a cucumber salad. The potatoes were boiled whole with the skins on (use organic potatoes and wash well), then sliced thickly and fried in butter.
Ingredients:
2 lbs beef, cut into medium sized cubes
6 garlic cloves
1 red onion, chopped in large chunks
1 tbs ground achiote
1 tbs ground cumin
½ tbs oregano
2 tsp salt + more to taste
2 tbs lemon juice
½ cup of beer
3 tablespoons of butter or lard
Preparation:
- Blend the garlic cloves, chopped onion, lemon juice and beer to obtain a puree.
- Mix in the achiote, cumin, oregano and salt.
- Place the cubed beef in a non-reactive bowl and combine with the marinade. Cover and let rest in the fridge for at least two hours (overnight is ideal).
- Heat the butter (or lard) in a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the beef and braise slowly until all the liquid is evaporated and the meat begins to brown. Stir frequently until the meat is browned on all sides.
- Add salt if needed and serve.
This is it!! My husband keeps talking about “red beef” that he used to have when he was younger in Cuenca and I of course was attempting a pot roast with paprika that ended up sort of Hungarian.
This is it, I’m so relieved to have found it! Woo hoo!
I’m confused in step 4. Shouldn’t you sear the meat, cover with a full-flavored marinade or other liquid and then cover and “braise” for 3 hours at 300 F? Braising means to cook food that is suspended in a liquid low and slow until its fork tender. You can even skip the searing step and just braise the meat, but a good braise takes at least 3 hours and you never wait for the liquid to evaporate. I’ve attached a similar recipe using pork…
PASTA DE ACHIOTE (Achiote Paste)
1 ½ cups annatto seeds
1, 3-inch piece “true” cinnamon stick
1 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Splash of cider vinegar
3 heads garlic, unpeeled and roasted
2 medium white onions, unpeeled and roasted
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground cumin seed
1 ½ tablespoons dried Mexican oregano
Fine sea salt, to taste
For the Achiote Paste:
1) Place annatto seeds (not pods) and cinnamon stick in a bowl. Add citrus juices and vinegar and let soak for an hour.
2) Roast the unpeeled garlic cloves, turning frequently, until soft and lightly browned in spots. Remove the skins and finely chop then set aside. Roast the onion in the oven.
3) Heat annatto seed mixture in a saucepan until the seeds begin to soften. Discard cinnamon stick.
4) Transfer to a blender and add the remaining ingredients. Process to a paste, seasoning to taste. Chill.
COCHINITA PIBIL (Buried Pork)
Yield: 8 servings
3 ½ ounces achiote paste
2 organic sour Mexican limes (lima agria), freshly squeezed
Olive oil
3-pound bone-in pork shoulder roast
1 pound banana leaves, lightly toasted
1 large white onion, cut into ¼-inch thick slices
3 spicy yellow chiles, split in half
For the Braised Achiote Pork:
In the meantime, shred the meat. Coat with the glaze and adjust the seasoning. Reheat and serve.
1) Preheat the oven to 300 F. Place the achiote paste in a small bowl. Pour in some lime juice to moisten and work the mixture into a smooth, thick marinade.
2) Toast the banana leaves over an open flame until they turn bright green. Line a few pieces on the bottom of an earthenware Dutch oven.
3) Lay the pork on top and pour the marinade over and around the entire roast.
4) Scatter the onion and chiles over the meat. Fold up the banana leaves to roughly cover everything.
5) Pour enough water around the banana leaves to cover them halfway.
6) Cover with a lid and braise in the back of an oven for 3 hours.
7) Transfer the meat to a platter and let rest. Strain the braising liquid and reduce to a glaze.
Sorry about the confusion, this was one of the first recipes I tried to translate and I wasn’t completely familiar with all the cooking terminology in English. The recipe itself is very good, let’s say for #4 “cook” instead of “braise”. Now that I look at it even the pictures aren’t too good, I’m adding this one to my list of recipes to update.
I have just returned from Ecuador and while there I had this dish and it was fabulous. I will let you know how this recipe works for me! Thanks!