Caribbean Beef Stew (Carne Guisada)

The juices from the vegetables cook down into a thick sauce that’s delicious, making a perfect, warming meal on a cold winter’s night.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 large cubanelle or green bell pepper (seeded and chopped)
• 4 ajíes dulces, small sweet peppers (seeded and chopped)
• 1 large onion (peeled and chopped)* 4 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped)
• 2 cups cilantro leaves (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar (distilled)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 large carrots (peeled and chopped)
• 1 15-ounce can peas
• 1/2 pound potatoes (peeled and diced)
• 12 Spanish pimento-stuffed olives
• 1 tablespoon capers
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Brown the stew meat in the olive oil for about 20 minutes in a large soup pot over medium heat.
3. Add the next 10 ingredients: the cubanelle pepper, ajíes dulces, onion, garlic, cilantro, vinegar, oregano, tomato sauce, bay leaves, and salt.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour. The juices from the vegetables and tomato sauce should cook down into a thick sauce. You can add a little water if the sauce seems to be getting too thick.
5. Turn the heat to medium after 1 hour. Add the last seven ingredients: the carrots, peas, potatoes, olives, capers, salt, and pepper to taste.
6. Reduce the heat to low when the stew begins to boil. Continue cooking over low heat for 1 more hour.