Carne con Papas Recipe (Cuban Beef Stew)
Last updated on 29th April 2024
Carne con papas is the king of Cuban stews. With tender diced beef, potatoes and carrots slowly cooked in tomato sauce, this dish is full of hearty flavours and comfort. The sofrito and aromatic spices and herbs added make it even more delicious. It is ideal for family dinners and meal prepping. You cannot miss this recipe!
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You should know that Cuban hearty and comforting recipes are enjoyed all year long, no matter the temperature. That’s why stews and soups are favourite dishes of Cubans, even if it’s 35 °C outside. No surprise black bean soup is one of them.
Beef dishes such as ropa vieja are staples of Cuban cuisine. But carne con papas is also a favourite. Come make it with me!
Jump to:
- What is Carne con papas?
- Why you are going to love this recipe
- Ingredients to make Carne con papas
- How to make Carne con papas
- Recipe variations
- Top Tips and Fun Facts
- Recipe card
What is Carne con Papas?
Carne con papas is a hearty, flavourful Cuban dish. Carne con papas is literally translated as “meat with potatoes”, but you can say it is “beef stew” in Spanish.
It is a thick stew with tender beef meat, potatoes, tomato sauce, Cuban sofrito, spices and herbs. I like to add carrots as well.
Why you are going to love this recipe
Hearty and flavourful stew. This stew is full of flavour and comforting feel. Make it at home and all the family will thank you!
It requires only a few ingredients. Easily available ingredients such as beef, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes are the main components of this dish. Spices and vegetables that you probably have in the cupboard make it also super easy.
Ideal for food prepping. Carne con papas is ideal for making a big batch that will serve you a few lunches. Keep it in the fridge for the short term or freeze it in batches to enjoy at the end of the week.
Ingredients to make Carne con Papas
Beef. For a juicy and tender meat that holds on after long, slow cooking, you can get beef chuck or braising steak, topside, bavette, silverside or even beef shin.
Sofrito. This recipe cannot be made without the classic Cuban sofrito made by sautéing in olive oil: garlic, onions, red pepper, natural tomatoes and tomato paste. It’s the flavour base that will give this stew the magic touch.
Spices and herbs. Ground oregano, cumin, black pepper, and chilli powder are the spices. Don’t forget the necessary salt, the bay leaf dropped in the sauce and a bunch of fresh parsley for decoration.
Cooking wine and water. Cuban dry cooking wine can be replaced with Shaoxing wine, dry sherry, dry vermouth, or a white wine such as pinot grigio. Use about half a cup of water for this recipe as well.
Potatoes and carrots. Carne con papas must have potatoes, of course. Peeled and diced rooster potatoes work very well. Get some carrots and now you’ve got everything.
How to make Carne con Papas
Here you can read the step-by-step instructions for this hearty Carne con papas recipe.
Sear the meat. Dice the meat in cubes of 1 inch or slightly larger. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a little olive oil on a pan at medium heat and sear the diced meat until it browns evenly (around 4 min). Set aside.
Make the sofrito. Finely chop the red pepper and the onions. Crush the garlic with the help of a mortar and pestle or with the flat surface of a knife. Put the same pan where you seared the meat to a medium heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, then add the pepper and the garlic. Keep sautéing for around 2 min. Take care not to burn the garlic by stirring frequently.
Add the tomato paste and the tinned tomatoes. Sauté everything together for 30 seconds.
Simmer the meat until tender. Stir in the meat, the oregano, cumin, black pepper, the optional chilli powder, salt and the cooking wine. Turn the heat to high and leave the alcohol to evaporate for a few seconds.
Break up the plum tomatoes in smaller tomato chunks. Mix everything in the pan and then add the water. Close the lid and turn the heat to low. Simmer for about 90 minutes or until the meat is tender and a fork sinks easily on it.
Cook the potatoes and carrots. After the meat has soften, adjust the salt. Add the chopped potatoes and sliced carrots. Simmer on medium heat for another 20-30 min, until the potatoes and carrots have cooked.
Serve and enjoy. Serve with white rice, salad and enjoy!
Recipe variations
This carne con papas or Cuban beef stew can be made faster but, how? Well, using a pressure cooker will reduce the meat cooking time from 90 minutes to around 35 minutes. You just need to follow the same previous steps but adding less water to the pressure cooker pot.
Once the meat is tender, you can add the potatoes and carrots and give another 4 to 5 minutes of pressure. The total cooking time should be of around 50 minutes.
Top tips and Fun facts
A good way to crush your garlic and get the most of its flavourful oils is to use a mortar and pestle. When you don’t have one or just feel too lazy to use it, crush the garlic with the flat surface of a knife and then chop it finely. This is a great technique to elevate your sofrito!
Cuban food is not commonly known for being spicy. In this carne con papas recipe I choose to add a little chilli powder to give it a bigger kick and warmer mouthfeel. But that’s me! Discover why Cuban food is not spicy.
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Carne con Papas Recipe (Cuban Beef Stew)
Very easy
Equipment
- large saucepan (2 L minimum)
- pressure cooker (if using this method)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil (plus a little splash for searing the meat)
- 750 g beef chuck or braising steak diced
- 1 brown onion finely chopped
- 1 red pepper finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tin (400 g) plum tomatoes in tomato juice
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp chilli powder (optional)
- ½ cup (120 ml) dry cooking wine or dry sherry
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup (120 ml) water (¼ cup or 60 ml if using a pressure cooker)
- 500 g rooster potatoes peeled and chopped
- 200 g carrots peeled and sliced
- a bunch fresh parsley (for decoration)
Instructions
- Dice the meat in 1 inch cubes or larger. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a little olive oil on a pan at medium heat and sear the diced meat until it browns evenly. Set aside.
- Chop the pepper and the onions. Crush the garlic. Put the same pan where you seared the meat to a medium heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, then add the pepper and the garlic. Keep sautéing for around 2 min. Add the tomato paste and the tinned tomatoes. Sauté everything for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the meat, the oregano, cumin, black pepper, the optional chilli powder, salt and the cooking wine. Mix everything in the pan and then add the water. Close the lid and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 90 minutes or until the meat is tender.
- After the meat has soften, adjust the salt. Add the chopped potatoes and sliced carrots. Simmer on medium heat for 20-30 min, until the potatoes and carrots have cooked.
- Serve with white rice and salad. Sprinkle some fresh parsley on top and enjoy!
Notes
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