Carne Guisada

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Nearly all of my life we have attended our family reunion in Texas and each year when we’d go we would vacation in San Antonio on our way home. We always stop at a certain restaurant and there are several things I love on the menu, but one of my all-time favorites is Carne Guisada, or beef stew (stewed beef). I love to eat it on the fresh handmade flour tortillas the restaurant makes with cheese and sour cream. It is pretty basic.

You can add any toppings you like and get as creative as you want with it, but what I love the most about Carne Guisada is that it is so flavorful, but it is so simple. My parents (especially my Daddy) like to recreate foods we have tried in restaurants and have liked. My parents made this dish for us all the time growing up and it was a very simple recipe with few ingredients.

My mother-in-law who comes from New Mexico makes a version of this with green chiles and it is also amazing. You can eat either as a main dish by itself or on a tortilla. This recipe is just the spices and a gravy basically. You then let it simmer or stew for as long as you can. I don’t always have time to do it for long, so I like to use beef like round steak and tenderize it a bit before frying it. To do that I season it with Tony’s (because I use Tony’s like salt and pepper)

It is a great way to cook Round Steak in case you have ever wondered what that cut of beef is used for.

What is Round Steak?

Round steak comes from the rear primal cut of the cow. It is usually a very lean cut of beef since the rear leg muscles are used so frequently for walking. Although it is very lean it usually does well when cooked with moisture, and will become tender. This recipe requires it to stew low and slow which makes this a great recipe to use with Round Steak if you buy it, or are wondering what to do with all the cuts of beef from your bulk beef.

Also, I like to give a little tenderizing boost before cooking. I sprinkle Tony’s (you can use salt and pepper) on both sides of the meat and place it on a cutting board and cover it with Saran Wrap. I gently beat it with a meat mallet on each side before cutting it against the grain.

Once you sear it at a higher heat and add liquid or moisture you can reduce it to low and let it stew until tenderness is achieved. I like to eat it on a warm flour tortilla with sour cream, shredded cheese, and hot sauce or salsa.

Carne Guisada

Stewed Beef

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 1 TBSP Olive Oil
• 16 oz Grass-Fed Round Steak
• 2 TBSP All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup Water warm
• 2 tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/8 tsp Oregano
• 1/8 tsp Cumin
• 1 TBSP Tony's Chachere's Creole Seasoning or seasoned salt of choice (sub salt and pepper)

Instructions

 

• Heat oil in skillet over medium heat
• Season meat with 2 tsp of (reserve the other teaspoon and set aside) Creole Seasoning (or salt and pepper) and gently beat with a meat mallet until flattened
• Cut the meat against the grain in thin strips (no more than 1/2" thick) or cubes
• Add meat to hot oil in skillet and sear
• Once seared add chili blend (chili powder and all other spices)
• Continue to cook for about 5 minutes
• Dust meat with flour and remaining tsp of Tony's until covered and fry for about 5 minutes more
• Slowly add warm (or hot) water while stirring constantly until a thick (roux) gravy begins to form and it is all combined. Should be a medium brown color and not lumpy. If too thick you can add more water at this stage and stir until smooth.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or more. Tip: the longer it stews the more tender the meat will be and the more flavorful the gravy will be.

Keyword beef, beef recipes, carne guisada, round steak, stewed beef