To my firstborn, a future restaurateur and chef:
Serves 4
- 1.5-2 lb beef 1″ cubes
- 15 baby carrots or two big carrots pealed and cut
- 1 large onion wedged 1″ pieces
- 3 medium potatoes, pealed, 1″ cubes.
- 1 celery stock, chopped 1/4″ pieces
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1-2 hot peppers finely chopped (Jalapeno, Thai green or any other to your likings and taste)
- 1/4 cup all purpose flower
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp sugar
- Optional 1 cup red wine (Port or any other).
- Optional two strips of bacon cut to 1/2″ chunks and fried for one minute between step 2 and 3.
- In a ziplock or any strong bag place flower, salt, black pepper, paprika and sugar, shake, add meat, shake well to evenly cover meat.
- Heat olive oil in a big enough pot over high flame.
- Add hot pepper and garlic, stir for one minute.
- Add meat (keep the leftover flower and spices mix for later). Stir a few times a minute until meat start getting brown and crisp on the outside.
- Add potatoes, stir for 3-4 minutes.
- Add onion, celery and carrots, stir for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the flower and spices mix that was left.
- Add the wine and add water to cover, then add two more cups water. Gently stir.
- Bring to a boil, lower flame to medium-low, cover, cook for 1-2 hours.
If the sauce doesn’t look thick enough after an hour or so, continue cooking uncover for half an hour.
* Can be garnished with chopped parsley.