Carne con Papas

Carne con papas is a Beef stew with potatoes very popular in Latin countries, usually served with rice.  A meal that the whole family loves.  A foolproof all-time favorite!

Carne con Papas: un platillo económico

Carne con Papas ( Beef and potatoes stew) is another recipe that reminds me of my mother. As all of us know, when you are raising a large family you have to be really creative to feed them. The uncertainty in the economy makes this task sometimes challenging. But my mom always managed to use simple ingredients to prepare savory meals without spending a lot of money.

Some of the easy and low-cost meals with potatoes that my mom cooked often were Picadillo, ground beef with potatoes, Cubed meat with salsa verde, Carne Guisada, Beef with Chile Colorado, Ropa Vieja, Caldo de Res. Some of those dishes used cuts of meats that are affordable like Round Steak, but she used the Pressure cooker to cook that type of meat. Slow cookers or Instant Pot were not invented yet.

This is an easy way to better manage our money at home. She used to add potatoes, carrots, zucchini or chayotes to the meals to take as much advantage of the flavor of the protein of the day, either chicken or beef. Going out to eat was out of the question, just imagine going out for dinner with 8 children!

Yes, those were the good old days of large families! This is a very low cost and popular meal for many families in the region where I grew up, and as I always mention, it changes from household to household.

My mother makes this dish of Carne con papas using only tomatoes, but maybe her next-door neighbor adds a little bit of guajillo or ancho peppers to the mix. We call it Carne con papas, or beef with potatoes. Made with some of the most economical cuts of meat, adding potatoes and tomatoes. A really inexpensive, comforting and delicious meal for your family.

Carne con papas is an everyday type of meal in Latin Countries

I really don't know how my parents managed to raise a large family like ours, some of us went to private schools and others to public schools. In Mexico, from middle school to college, you need to buy your own books, and everyone wears a school uniform, which you have to pay for, even at the high school level. There is not such a thing as “school lunches”; no, you bring your own lunch from home.

Today’s families are smaller, but still, they struggle to make ends meet. I personally believe that we should educate ourselves and our children about money management, not just at school but at home too. Well. you can here to find this delicious recipe for Carne con papas, I just wanted to add my little grain of rice about home economics in the mix. I hope you enjoy the recipe.

How to make Carne con Papas Recipe

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DIRECTIONS:

• Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet or casserole over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add meat cubes and cook until browned on all sides. About 10 minutes. (Please check the ingredients list below)
• While the meat is cooking, place in your blender the tomatoes, onion, garlic and a cup of chicken broth. Puree until you have a smooth sauce.
• Stir in this sauce into the skillet with the meat using a strainer or sieve.  Bring it to simmering and cook covered for about 20 minutes. Add more broth if needed.
• Stir in potatoes and serrano peppers; cook until meat and potatoes are tender. Stirring halfway through cooking.
• Just before serving your Carne con papas, add the chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm with rice or warm corn tortillas.

¡Buen provecho!

Mely,

The Mexican Version for Carne con papas is very similar to the Cuban, Venezuelan, Philipino or Puerto Rican recipes. And, I guess countries like Honduras, Colombia and El Salvador, have their own version.

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Carne con papas

Mely Martínez

This is another recipe that reminds me of my mother. As all of us know, when you are raising a large family you have to be really creative to feed them. The uncertainty in the economy makes this task sometimes challenging. But my mom always managed to use simple ingredients.

4.87 from 30 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Beef, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4

Calories 465 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 ½ Pound Beef Chuck roast trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• ▢ 4 large tomatoes chopped (About 4 cups when chopped)
• ▢ 1 cup of chicken broth*
• ▢ ½ cup white onion chopped
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves peeled
• ▢ 2 large potatoes cubed
• ▢ 2 serrano peppers**
• ▢ ½ cup cilantro chopped
• ▢ Salt and Pepper to season

Instructions

 

• Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet or casserole over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add meat cubes and cook until browned on all sides. About 10 minutes.
• While the meat is cooking, place in your blender the tomatoes, onion, garlic and a cup of chicken broth. Puree until you have a smooth sauce.
• Stir in this sauce into the skillet with the meat using a strainer or sieve. Bring it to simmering and cook covered for about 20 minutes. Add more broth if needed.
• Stir in potatoes and serrano peppers; cook until meat and potatoes are tender. Stirring halfway through cooking.
• Just before serving, add the chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm with rice or warm corn tortillas.

Notes

• If you don’t have Chicken broth, substitute with 1 cup of water and 2 teaspoons of chicken bullion.
• The pepper can also be blended into the sauce if you prefer to have the dish a little spicy.
• You can use other herbs like oregano, Bay leaves or thyme instead of cilantro to season this meal.

Nutrition

Serving: 6OZCalories: 465kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 37gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 371mgPotassium: 1391mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1210IUVitamin C: 37mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 7.4mg

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