Carbonada Criolla

Ingredients

• 800 g beef chuck or brisket
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 large onion
• 1 red pepper
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 500 g pumpkin or kabocha squash
• 2 sweet potatoes (about 400 g)
• 2 potatoes (about 350 g)
• 2 corn cobs
• 100 g dried peaches or dried apricots
• 1.2 litres beef stock
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• Black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Before you cook

• Cut the beef into 3 cm cubes and pat them dry
• Finely chop the onion, red pepper and garlic
• Grate or finely chop the tomatoes
• Peel the pumpkin, sweet potatoes and potatoes and cut them into 3 cm chunks
• Cut each corn cob into 4 thick rounds
• Halve the dried peaches

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over high heat until it shimmers.
2. Brown the beef in two batches, about 4 minutes a batch, then lift it onto a plate.
3. Lower the heat to medium and add the onion and red pepper to the same pot.
4. Cook the vegetables for 8 minutes, scraping the browned bits off the base as they soften.
5. Stir in the garlic, paprika, cumin and oregano and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
6. Add the tomatoes and the sugar and cook for 4 minutes until the mixture darkens and thickens.
7. Return the beef with any juices, pour in the stock and drop in the bay leaf.
8. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook gently for 40 minutes.
9. Add the potatoes and sweet potatoes and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
10. Add the pumpkin, the corn rounds and the dried peaches and simmer for another 15 minutes.
11. Test a piece of beef and a piece of pumpkin; both should give easily to a spoon.
12. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper, then let the pot stand off the heat for 5 minutes.
13. Scatter the parsley over the top and ladle it into deep bowls with a corn round in each.