Peruvian spicy beef stew (Picante de carne)

Peruvian cuisine is filled with stew, slow-cooked and delicious. It comes from the culture of a hard life where food was simmered over time as folk=s worked and hence stews were developed. T\

This is a very traditional stew. The base flavour is aji panca, a robust chilli with smoked flavours and a hit from the spicier aji rocoto. Beef is a staple protein source in Peru, the birthplace of potatoes. This is an everyday stew made at home with common ingredients, but one that is excellent. The flavours are robust, and the hint of chilli is warming. The meat contrasts with the potato for texture. This is a lovely stew, hearty, soul-pleasing and warming, a dish to make you happy. Serve it with rice or soft white bread that will sop up the juices.

This is a tome on Peruvian cooking that covers over 500 recipes, from the most common to rarer dishes. Gaston Acurio is the most celebrated Peruvian chef, cookbook author, TV chef and food educator. He owns a string of restaurants worldwide and has set up the ever-popular International Gastronomic Fair of Lima, now known as Mistura, in Lima.

This tome is his homage to his native cuisine. It is packed full of recipes and not much else. From the popular Acurio guides, cooks explore the full range of Peru's vibrant cuisine, from popular classics like quinoa, ceviche, and lomo saltado to lesser-known dishes like amaranth and aji Amarillo. The ingredients tend to be hard to find sometimes, but for chefs in love with or wanting to experience Peruvian cuisine at its best, this is the cookbook to have.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil

1 lb beef tenderloin, cubed

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons oil

2 onions, thinly sliced

12 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

3 tablespoons aji Panca chilli paste

3 cups beef broth or water + as needed

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

5-6 baby potatoes, halved 1 cup fresh fava beans or other large green beans

1/2-1 teaspoon aji rocoto chilli

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high flame. Toss the beef cubes with salt and pepper. Fry in batches of 7-8 pieces until all the sides are well caramelised. Repeat until all the batches are cooked. You want to do this step in small batches, not overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding the pan will begin to steam the meat instead of frying it. Set aside.

Heat the second batch of oil in a deep pot on a low flame. Add the onions and garlic and fry until the onions are light;y coloured.

Add the cumin and aji panca and toss the pan to mix the ingredients. Add the meat, salt, and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes, coating it with the spices. Add the broth or water and bring to a simmer. Cover the stew with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 90 minutes.

Add the potatoes and more water if needed to submerge them. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes until the potatoes are soft and cooked through.

Add the aji rocoto, but be careful; it is very spicy. Add to your taste and mix well. Add the beans and stir in. Cook for 5 minutes until the beans are cooked through. Taste for salt and spice and adjust the seasonings.

Serve with rice or soft white bread.