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Overview

Saice Tarijeno

Saice Chapaco, Saice de Tarija, Tarija Beef Stew

This saice tarijeno recipe is Tarija's beloved beef stew: tender cubes of beef simmered with potatoes, peas and carrots in a spicy tomato and cumin sauce, finished with a fresh onion-tomato salad. One serving is about 728 g. It is the kind of generous, warming plate that southern Bolivia is known for, served with white rice and a bright salad.

Saice is the signature stew of Tarija, the wine-growing department in southern Bolivia, where it is a fixture of home cooking and market stalls. Its base of cubed beef, potatoes, peas and cumin in a tomato and ají colorado sauce reflects the meeting of Andean ingredients — potato, chuño and ají — with Spanish-introduced beef and cumin. In Tarija it is served as a generous plate, the stew piled beside rice, salad and often pasta and chuño, a serving style that sets it apart from the thinner saice of La Paz.

Pairs well with: White rice and a crisp lettuce, tomato and onion salad, with a glass of Tarija wine or a cold lager

Provenance

Bolivia flag Bolivia

Tarija Heritage

Latin America & Caribbean

Time Dedication

1h 30m

20m prep • 70m cook

Batch Yield

4 Servings

639 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 728 g

Technical Skill

Intermediate

Medium (One Pot, Long Simmer)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Hearty Midday Main

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

Occasions: Family dinner, Sunday lunch, cold evenings, wine-country supper Cost: Low — about $3–4 per serving at home
Tags: Beef Spicy Savory Braised
A plate of saice tarijeno: dark red beef stew with green peas beside diced beetroot and carrot, shredded lettuce, tomato and onion salad, short pasta and chuño

Tarija Heritage

Photo: Alexander Vaca Rivas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Low — about $3–4 per serving at home (USD)

A good saice is judged by its sauce: thick, brick-red from tomato and aji, with the cumin coming through and the beef tender enough to cut with a spoon.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 1h 30m
P

Prep Stage: Cube, Chop and Mix the Salad

20 Mins • Cube + Chop

Cut the beef and potatoes into 2 cm cubes, chop the onion, tomatoes, carrots and garlic, and measure out the tomato paste, ají colorado paste, cumin and oregano. Mix the salad — shredded lettuce, diced tomato and beetroot, sliced onion and diced carrot — in a bowl and set it aside undressed. A saice simmers for the best part of an hour once it is on the stove, so having every vegetable ready before the pot gets hot is what keeps the cooking calm.

Maestro Tip: Cut the beef and the potatoes the same size — about 2 cm — so they finish cooking together.

  1. 1

    Brown the Beef

    8 Mins Medium-high heat, ~200°C (400°F)

    Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Season the beef cubes with half the salt, then brown them in two batches for about 4 minutes each, turning so every side catches colour. Lift the beef out and set it aside. Beef for a stew should be browned hard — the dark crust is where most of the flavour comes from.

    Do not crowd the pot — too much beef at once steams instead of browning.

    Done when: The beef is browned on all sides with a dark crust.

  2. 2

    Build the Sauce

    7 Mins Medium heat, ~175°C (350°F)

    Lower the heat to medium and cook the chopped onion in the same pot for 3 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano and ají colorado paste and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until the tomatoes collapse into a thick red sauce.

    Cook the tomato paste until it darkens a shade — raw paste tastes tinny.

    Done when: The tomatoes have collapsed into a thick red sauce and the oil separates at the edges.

  3. 3

    Simmer the Stew

    40 Mins Low heat, ~95°C (200°F), simmering

    Return the beef to the pot with any juices, pour in the beef broth and bring it to a gentle simmer. Cover with the lid ajar and simmer for 25 minutes, then add the potatoes and diced carrots and simmer for 15 minutes more, until the beef is tender and the potatoes are cooked through. Ground and cubed beef must reach at least 71°C (160°F) at the centre.

    Keep it at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, or the beef toughens and the sauce dries out.

    Done when: The beef yields to a fork, the potatoes are tender, and the sauce coats a spoon.

  4. 4

    Add the Peas and Cook the Rice

    10 Mins Low heat, ~95°C (200°F)

    Stir the peas into the stew and cook for 5 minutes more, until they are bright green and tender. Taste and add the rest of the salt if needed. Meanwhile, cook the rice to packet directions so it is hot and fluffy when the stew is ready.

    Add the peas last — they need only a few minutes, and long cooking turns them grey.

    Done when: The peas are bright green and tender; the rice is fluffy.

  5. 5

    Plate Tarija-Style

    5 Mins No heat

    Spoon the stew onto one side of each plate and the rice on the other, then pile the salad — lettuce, tomato, onion, beetroot and carrot — alongside. In Tarija the plate often also carries a spoonful of short pasta and chuño, the freeze-dried Andean potato, so add them if you have them; they are part of the local plate.

    Keep the stew, rice and salad in separate piles on the plate so the salad stays crisp.

    Done when: Each plate carries stew, rice and salad in separate piles, with the red sauce and green peas showing.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Serve the saice hot, straight from the pot, with the rice and salad on the same plate. In Tarija the plate often also carries a spoonful of short pasta and chuño — add them if you have them, they are part of the local plate, not a garnish. Eat it while the sauce is still steaming.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

639

kcal / serving

Protein

47g

Complete AA

Carbs

82g

Complex

Fats

14g

Healthy

Per serving (4 servings · 1 serving ≈ 728 g)
Energy639 kcal
Protein47 g
Carbohydrates82 g
Fat14 g
Fibre10.0 g
Sugar13.3 g
Sodium669 mg
Per 100g
Energy88 kcal
Protein6.5 g
Carbohydrates11.2 g
Fat1.9 g
Fibre1.4 g
Sugar1.8 g
Sodium92 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin B12, niacin and zinc (beef), vitamin A (carrots), vitamin C (tomatoes, peas), folate (peas, beetroot), iron (beef, beetroot).

Slow-Cooked Protein That Fills You Up

About 47 g of protein per serving from the beef — a dinner that genuinely holds you until morning.

A Plate Full of Vegetables

Potatoes, peas, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce and beetroot all share the plate, so the stew is as much vegetable as meat.

Real Ingredients, One Pot

Beef, vegetables, cumin and chile, simmered slowly — no packet sauce, no shortcuts.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Sides

White Rice

Fluffy white rice soaks up the spicy tomato-cumin sauce and turns the stew into a full plate.

Vegetables

Crisp Lettuce, Tomato and Onion Salad

The cool, sharp salad with beetroot and carrot cuts the richness of the stew and adds crunch.

Drinks

A Glass of Tarija Wine

Tarija is Bolivia's wine country, and a glass of local red stands up to the cumin and chile in the sauce.

Full Menus

As a Tarija Sunday Lunch

Serve the stew with rice, salad and a spoonful of pasta for the full Tarija plate, the way it is eaten at home on Sundays.

Complete menu

Serve the saice with white rice and the lettuce, tomato, onion, beetroot and carrot salad, and finish with a glass of Tarija wine.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Very Salty Broths and Stock Cubes

The broth and the added salt already season the stew, so a salty stock cube or an extra salty broth can push the sodium far higher than intended. Use low-sodium broth and taste before adding more salt. This is general information, not medical advice.

Extra-Hot Chilli Sauces

The ají colorado paste already brings the heat, and piling on a very hot sauce can overwhelm the cumin and tomato flavours and irritate a sensitive stomach. If you want more fire, add a little more ají paste while cooking instead. This is general information, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA hearty, balanced dinner for most adults; one plate is a full meal.
  • ChildrenChildren usually love the beef, potatoes and peas; use half the ají paste for a milder stew and let them pick the salad they like.
  • ElderlyThe slow-simmered beef and soft potatoes are easy to chew; serve a smaller plate with extra salad if a full one is too much.
  • Pregnant womenFine in pregnancy when the beef is cooked through to at least 71°C (160°F) and the salad vegetables are washed well; ask your clinician if unsure.
  • Breastfeeding womenA protein- and iron-rich dinner that suits breastfeeding; the salad and vegetables add balance.
  • AthletesAbout 47 g of protein per serving, plus rice and potatoes for energy, supports recovery after training.
  • Weight gainEnergy-dense with rice and potatoes, so it suits anyone trying to gain weight.
  • Weight lossOne plate is a large meal, so take a smaller serving of rice and load up on the salad instead.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesAbout 82 g of carbohydrate per serving, mostly from potatoes and rice, so it is a higher-carb meal; a smaller portion of rice and potatoes with extra salad is a lighter option, and ask your clinician.
  • High blood pressureOne serving carries about 669 mg of sodium, which is moderate for a stew; use low-sodium broth, skip extra salt and keep the rest of the day low in salt, and ask your clinician.
  • Kidney diseaseHigh in protein and potassium from the beef, potatoes and tomatoes, so people with kidney disease should keep portions small and infrequent; ask your clinician.
  • GoutBeef is rich in purines, which can raise uric acid; enjoy occasionally rather than daily if gout is a concern, and ask your clinician.
  • Stomach issuesThe chile, cumin and tomato can bother reflux or a sensitive stomach; a smaller portion with less ají paste and more rice is gentler, and ask your clinician if symptoms persist.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseLean braised beef with plenty of vegetables is a reasonable choice, but keep the salt in check and the portions moderate, and ask your clinician.
  • Fatty liverA filling stew with lean beef and vegetables; keep the rice portion moderate and skip extra oil, and ask your clinician.
  • Food allergiesContains no gluten, egg, milk or nuts as written; check the broth and ají paste labels for hidden allergens. Ask your clinician if you have a food allergy.
  • Special therapeutic dietsFits a high-protein plan as written; for a low-sodium plan, use unsalted broth and no added salt, and for a lower-carb plan, halve the rice and potatoes and add more salad, and ask your clinician or dietitian.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Cool within 2 hours and keep the stew and rice in separate sealed containers; keep the salad separate and dress it only when serving.
In the fridge
Stew: up to 3 days at 0–4°C (32–39°F). Cooked rice: up to 2 days. Salad: up to 1 day.
In the freezer
Stew (without the potatoes): up to 3 months at −18°C (0°F); potatoes turn grainy when frozen.
How to reheat
Reheat the stew in a pan over medium heat until steaming hot all the way through, at least 74°C (165°F); reheat rice the same way, with a splash of water.
Freezing recommended
Yes — the stew freezes well without the potatoes; add freshly cooked potatoes when serving.
Signs it has spoiled
Sour smell, slimy surface, or mould — discard if any of these appear.

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