Beans and Beef Stew (Estofado de Frijoles y Carne)
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry red pinto or canary beans, rinsed and picked over
- 4 cups water
- 2 pounds beef for stew cut into chunks
- ½ cup grated carrot
- 1 large green plantain peeled and diced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 scallion
- ½ cup red bell pepper
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Wash the beans and soak overnight in cold water. Drain the beans and dump into slow cooker.
- Place the onions, garlic, scallion and red bell pepper in the food processor.
- Add the beef to slow cooker with beans and pour in water. Add the chopped vegetables, grated carrot and ground cumin. Stir well.
- Cover the pot and cook on high for 5 hours or until the beans are tender.
- Add the plantain, season with salt and pepper and cook for 30 minutes more.
- Add chopped cilantro and serve with white rice and hogao.
- If using a normal pot: Wash the beans and soak overnight in cold water. Drain the beans and place in a large pot and add the water, beef, chopped vegetables, carrots and cumin. Over medium-high heat, bring the beans to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the beans to cook until almost tender, approximately 2 hours.
- When the beans are almost tender, add the plantains, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for another hour or until the beans are fully cooked. (Add additional water as necessary).
- Add chopped cilantro and serve.
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This beans and beef stew is a warm and comforting meal and the perfect dish to eat on a cold day. Beans are a staple in Colombian cuisine and are usually cooked in a pressure cooker. I do own a pressure cooker, but I am a little intimidated by that thing. My mom bought it for me when I was engaged to be married. Like most Colombian mom’s, she couldn’t bear the thought of her daughter not owning a pressure cooker.
I noticed that I have been using my crock pot more and more lately. I used it again for this beans and beef stew, not the pressure cooker 😉 Just think about how great it is to put a bunch of ingredients in a pot and not have to worry if dinner is burning for at least 5 hours. You also don’t have to worry about it exploding as a result of too much pressure, sending shrapnel throughout the kitchen. Enjoy the dish!
Salt and pepper
If using a normal pot:
NjM Travels
This is always a hit and very much liked by my Colombian friends living in the USA as well. I use and instant pot to cook for faster results… searing the stew meat and then manual setting at high for 35 minutes. To really speed things up, I’ll use canned beans. Either way you decide to make this, follow the ingredient list and it will be a hit! Thanks for sharing your culture and food… keep the authentic recipes coming!
kathey
This looks like a tasty recipe, and for all of you intimidated by pressure cookers, I have been using one for years to cook quickly, and have not had any incidents. The 'exploding' pressure cooker has been a thing of the past for many years, due to creation of better cookers with better materials. Do not let that intimidate you anymore. It is nice to take a frozen chicken, placed into the pot and have it soup ready in a little over an hour. Or to take frozen breast and thighs, and have adobo ready in about 30 minutes.
Elaine
I recently purchased a pressure cooker and am looking for recipies to try - this one looks perfect, especially as my husband is Colombian and loves this kind of food (and yes his mother has a few pressure cookers of all different sizes....How long would you need to cook this recipie in a pressure cooker? (I do have a slow cooker but would like to try it in the pressure cooker)
Erica
Thank you everyone 🙂
Muneeba
I'm glad u didn't end up using the pressure cooker ...coz I don't own one, and am too scared to! This dish sounds simple and hearty, but I love the small touches of deep flavor added in there from the plantains and red pepper etc.
Diana
I am making this! Looks so good!! By the way, I love your new pic on the homepage!!