Peruvian Beef Stew (Seco de Carne)
This traditional Peruvian stew is made with beef, plenty of cilantro, chicha de jora (fermented corn drink) or beerf, Peruvian yellow spicy peppers (ajíes amarillos), garlic, onions, potatoes, carrots, peas and additional spices.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 kg boneless beef use 1.5 kg if using meat with bones, cubed or cut into large chunks – you can use brisket, oxtail, chuck roast, or short ribs
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 6 Peruvian yellow chili peppers (ajíes amarillos), deveined and seeded
- 1 large bunch of cilantro
- 1 ½ cups chicha de jora fermented corn drinks, can be replaced with light beer, or apple cider (330 ml)
- 2-3 tablespoons oil
- 1 finely chopped red onion
- 4 cloves garlic crushed or minced
- 2 small carrots 200 grams, peeled and sliced
- 3-4 medium potatoes 300 grams, peeled and cubed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup raw peas 100 grams
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- A little extra chopped cilantro for serving
To serve:
- White rice
- White beans Fréjoles
- Peruvian onion salsa criolla
Instructions
- Season the meat with cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Cut the Peruvian yellow chili peppers in half, and with a spoon, scrape out the seeds and veins.
- Place the chicha de jora, the chili peppers, and the cilantro in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Turn the stove to high heat; add the oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. When very hot, add the pieces of meat and sear them on both sides until they begin to brown (about 2-3 minutes per side).
- Remove the seared pieces of meat from the pot and set them aside.
- In the same pot, add the chopped onion and crushed garlic. Cook the onion and garlic for about 3-5 minutes.
- Then add the reserved pieces of meat back in.
- Add the potatoes and carrots.
- Add the blended chili cilantro liquid to the pot. Add dried oregano and a little salt and pepper.
- Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer until the meat is very tender and can be cut with a spoon. The exact cooking time will vary depending on the cut of meat, but it can take between 1 and 2 hours.
- Add the raw peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Serve the Peruvian beef stew with white rice, white beans, and onion salsa.
