Carbonada

Carbonada Criolla (Argentine Beef and Vegetable Stew)

A hearty Argentine stew of diced beef simmered with onion, carrot, potato, sweet potato, corn, squash and tomato, often finished with a handful of dried fruit for a faint sweetness. Serve in deep bowls with crusty bread, or spoon it into a hollowed roasted pumpkin for the classic carbonada en zapallo.

Prep

30 min

Cook

90 min

Total

120 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •900 g (2 lb) beef chuck or stewing beef, cut into 2 cm / ¾ in cubes; trim large fat chunks but keep some marbling
• •2 whole onions, medium, diced
• •3 whole carrots, medium, peeled and cut into 1.5 cm / ½ in rounds
• •2 whole potatoes, medium waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm / ¾ in cubes
• •1 whole sweet potato, medium, peeled and cut into 2 cm / ¾ in cubes
• •300 g (10½ oz) squash or pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 2 cm / ¾ in cubes; butternut or calabaza
• •2 whole corn cobs, kernels cut off the cob, or 300 g / 10½ oz frozen corn
• •4 whole tomatoes, ripe, peeled and chopped, or 400 g / 14 oz canned chopped tomatoes
• •2 whole bay leaves
• •1 tsp dried oregano
• •1 tsp sweet paprika, not smoked, for the Argentine flavour profile
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) ground cumin
• •2 tbsp olive oil or beef fat
• •1.5 l (6¼ cups) beef stock or water, plus more if needed; hot
• •60 g (2¼ oz) dried peaches or raisins, optional; add for the sweet-savoury regional variation
• •1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) black pepper, freshly ground
• •1 whole pumpkin or large squash, optional, about 2 kg / 4½ lb, for serving carbonada en zapallo

Steps

1. 1 Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towel and season with the salt and pepper. This helps them brown rather than steam.
2. 2 Heat the olive oil or beef fat in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in two batches, about 4–5 minutes per batch, turning so several sides take on colour. Transfer the browned meat to a plate; do not crowd the pot.
3. 3 Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 5–6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the oregano, sweet paprika and cumin and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. 4 Return the beef and any resting juices to the pot. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, then pour in the hot stock or water. It should just cover the meat. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover partly, and cook at a bare simmer for 45 minutes.
5. 5 Add the carrots and cook for 10 minutes. Then add the potatoes, sweet potato and squash, and cook for a further 15 minutes.
6. 6 Stir in the corn and, if using, the dried peaches or raisins. Simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes, until the potatoes and sweet potato are tender when pierced with a knife and the broth has thickened slightly from the broken-down squash. If it becomes too thick, add a splash of hot stock or water.
7. 7 Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Fish out the bay leaves. The beef should be fork-tender; if it is still firm, simmer for another 10–15 minutes and check again.
8. 8 For carbonada en zapallo (optional): preheat the oven to 200 °C / 400 °F. Cut a lid from the top of the pumpkin or squash and scoop out the seeds and loose fibres. Rub the inside with a little oil and salt, replace the lid, and roast on a baking tray for 40–50 minutes, until the flesh is tender when pierced. Spoon the finished stew into the hollow, replace the lid, and bring the whole pumpkin to the table. Scoop out some roasted pumpkin flesh with each serving.
9. 9 Serve hot in deep bowls with crusty bread. Leftovers keep refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheat gently on the stovetop; the stew is often better the next day.