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Puerto Rican Beef Stew with baby golden potatoes, corn on the cob,green peas, stewed tomatoes, and bacon in a brown sauce in a black cast iron skillet
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Easy, No-fuss Puerto Rican Inspired Beef Stew

This stew is full of layers of flavors that keep your tastebuds going.  Eat itself or over rice or pasta, this stew is sure to hit the spot.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time6 hours 44 minutes
Total Time6 hours 44 minutes
Course: Stews and Soups
Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Zoe Morman

Ingredients

  • Two strips of bacon small diced
  • Two pounds beef trimmed and cubed
  • Two ounces lean cured ham washed and diced
  • One can of diced tomatoes. I prefer the fire-roasted diced tomatoes with garlic
  • One green pepper seeded and chopped
  • One cubanelle pepper seeded and chopped.
  • One onion peeled and chopped
  • Three fresh culantro leaves chopped. Use cilantro if culantro is not available
  • ¼ cup of red wine
  • Two tablespoons tomato paste
  • ¾ pounds potatoes peeled and quartered, or fingerling/baby potatoes
  • ¾ pound pumpkin peeled and cubed
  • One fresh corn on the cob shucked and broken into three pieces
  • One small cured ham bone washed
  • 1 ¾ quarts beef stock about 7 cups, use water if stock is not available
  • One cup of frozen green peas
  • 15 to 20 olives optional

Instructions

  • Season beef cubes with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin.
  • In a large stockpot cook bacon pieces until crisp but not burnt.  Add cubed beef and brown.  Do not fully cook meat, just quickly sear until it gets a nice brown color.  About 10~15 minutes.
  • Once browned, add onion, both peppers, canned tomatoes, and cilantro. Quickly saute to start to render the vegetable flavors.  About 5 minutes
  • Add red wine and deglaze the bottom of the pot.  Allow the wine to reduce a bit while scrapping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. 
  • Add beef stock/water, along with potatoes, pumpkin, and corn.
  • Cover and boil over low to low-moderate heat for about an hour.  we are looking for a gentle simmer
  • From time to time, check the pot and look for any oil floating to the top. With a soup spoon gently scoop as much excess oil as needed. 
  • On the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking, add frozen green peas and olives
  • If stew reduces faster than potatoes are cooked, add more stock/water, one cup at a time.

Notes

  1. I prefer to sear the meat to seal in the juices in the meat and expand the flavor to the veggies before It begins to stew, but this recipe could easily be moved to an Instant Pot or slow cooker.  I would reduce the liquid to by maybe a quarter or a half, as the liquid will accumulate as it stews.  If using an Instant Pot or Slow Cooker, place all ingredients in the pot before starting pot or cooker.
  2. If you want to spice this recipe replace the cubanelle pepper with jalapeno or any other firey pepper you enjoy.