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1
Marinate the Beef
30 Mins
Room temperature; keep below 21°C (70°F)
Put the beef chunks in a bowl with the crushed garlic, sofrito, soy sauce, lime juice, sazon, half the salt and the black pepper. Mix until every piece is coated, then leave for 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to overnight in the fridge.
Even a short marinade matters: the garlic, lime and sazon season the meat all the way through, not just the sauce.
Done when: Beef evenly coated and smelling of garlic and lime.
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2
Brown the Beef
12 Mins
High heat, about 200°C (400°F)
Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot or caldero over high heat. Sprinkle the sugar into the oil and let it darken for a few seconds, then brown the beef in two batches for about 3 minutes a side, turning until every piece is deeply browned. Lift the beef out and set it aside.
Do not crowd the pot: crowded beef steams grey instead of browning, and browning is where the flavour comes from.
Done when: Beef dark brown on all sides, with a caramelised crust.
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3
Soften the Peppers and Onion
8 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Lower the heat to medium and add the onion and both peppers to the same pot, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Cook for about 8 minutes until soft and sweet, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more until it darkens.
Those browned bits on the pot bottom are flavour: scrape them up with the onion and a splash of water.
Done when: Onion and peppers soft and glossy, tomato paste darkened.
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4
Braise Until Tender
70 Mins
Low simmer, about 95°C (200°F); beef must reach 71°C (160°F)
Return the beef to the pot with the tomato sauce and 500 ml (2 cups) of water, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover, lower the heat and cook for about 70 minutes, stirring now and then, until the beef yields easily to a fork and the sauce has thickened.
Keep the simmer gentle: a hard boil toughens stew meat, while a lazy bubble makes it tender.
Done when: Beef fork-tender, sauce thick enough to coat a spoon.
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5
Add the Potatoes and Carrots
25 Mins
Low simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Stir in the potato and carrot chunks, making sure they sit down in the sauce. Cover and cook for about 25 minutes more until the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape. Taste and add the remaining salt if needed.
Adding the vegetables late is the trick: they cook through in the sauce without turning to mush.
Done when: Potato and carrot tender when pierced, beef still in whole chunks.
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6
Rest and Serve
10 Mins
Off the heat
Take the pot off the heat and rest it, covered, for 10 minutes so the sauce settles and the flavours come together. Stir once, check the seasoning, and serve hot over rice.
A short rest makes a real difference: the sauce clings to the meat instead of running thin on the plate.
Done when: Sauce glossy and clinging, meat tender, vegetables whole.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Rest the stew for 10 minutes off the heat, then serve it hot over white rice with the sauce spooned generously over the top.
Dominican Republic
3h 15m
