PUERTO RICAN BEEF

With White Rice

by Dominic Torres

This dish is inspired by my mom. She got the recipe from her mom and is now passing it on to me. This take on beef stew is different from others because it has the unique flavors of Puerto Rican food. It has a different taste than any other cuisine out there. People should make this stew to learn how to cook Puerto Rican food because --it can be tricky to perfect.

Serves: 6 Estimated Cook Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 pounds beef top round, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 yellow onions, medium dice

1 green bell pepper, medium dice

½ cup tomato sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 cilantro leaves, chopped

2 tablespoon white vinegar

Directions

Beef Stew:

½ teaspoon dried oregano

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon salt

½ pound carrots, peeled and sliced into ½-inch coins

½ pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

12 green olives

2 tablespoons butter

3 cups long-grain white rice

1. In a stockpot, heat the olive oil over high heat. In batches, add the beef and sear until the pieces are browned on all sides, transferring the browned beef to a plate.

2. Reduce the heat, and add the onion, green bell pepper, tomato sauce, garlic, cilantro, vinegar, bay leaves, dried oregano, 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste, and enough water to cover (4 to 5 cups). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour.

3. After an hour, add the carrots, potatoes, and green olives to the pot. Cook for 1 more hour, or until the meat is tender. As the stew cooks, check that there is enough water in the pot to prevent the sauce from drying out, adding more if needed. Season with salt to taste and remove from heat.

White Rice:

1. During the final hour of cooking the beef stew, prepare the rice. Rinse the rice in a strainer. In a medium pot, bring 4 cups water, the butter and salt to taste to a boil. Add the rice and check that the water covers the rice by about 1 inch. Skim off or add more water if necessary. Bring to a boil.

2. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the rice for 20-40 minutes. Steam until the rice is fluffy, then fluff with a fork. Serve stew in bowls over rice.

Crossword

Across

3. In the movie Ratatouille, the name of the rat

5. Italians most typical way of cooking pasta

Down

1. What food-based movie has a main character that’s a rat

4. “Pass the _________”

2. Italians’ most known dish

Answer key on page 94