Looking for a meaty hearty starchy crave satisfying recipe? Well, here you go. Have any picky eaters in your house? Nobody will be able to resist this meat and potatoes recipe. I loved when my mom would make this meal when I was a child. It’s a very easy way to eat beef without the pesky fuss of knowing how to properly use a knife. Needless to say, very kid-friendly and at the same time enjoyable for adults.
This carne con papa recipe leaves the beef so tender you won’t even need a knife, seriously! The key is using the pressure cooker. I’ve tried doing this recipe simply boiling the meat along with the other ingredients and well, it just doesn’t work. The meat stays pretty tough and doesn’t do this dish any justice.
I highly recommend investing in a pressure cooker, if you don’t have one already. It’s very handy when cooking beef cuts of various types (along with other types of food like beans from scratch). It will be totally worth it. The beef chunks are left so tender you can simply take a fork to it to break it apart.
The beef along with the sauce and potatoes served over white rice is delightful! Pair it with some sweet plantains or tostones and it just takes it to a whole other level. I’m about to drool over here!
This recipe is very easy in that you can throw everything into one pot and just let it cook.
I’ve tried making this dish without using a pressure cooker. No matter how long I left it slow cooking, the meat never reached the perfect tender texture. If you don’t already have a pressure cooker, I would highly recommend that you add this to your kitchen. It’ll save you lots of time when cooking beef and many other foods.
Alternatively, you can use a modern digital pressure cooker, which are much more safe to use.
NOTE: Pressure cooker needed.
Ingredients:
16 oz cubed stew beef
1 or 2 russet potatoes (depending on the size)
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 Tbs of oregano
1 Tbs of cumin
1 Tbs of Sazón Completa
1 can of tomato sauce
1 white onion
5 large garlic cloves
Salt
2 bay leafs
1/4 cup of white wine (or dry cooking wine)
(Amount of each ingredient can be adjusted per chefs’ liking.)
So for this recipe, chop the onion, garlic, peppers, then peel and cut the potatoes into 2 inch pieces.
You don’t want the potato pieces too small, or they will dissolve in the pressure cooker. You want the pieces big enough to be able to take two or three bites out of them.
Place all the ingredients into the pressure cooker and fill with water until the ingredients are barely submerged. Place the lid. Cooking time varies depending on your pressure cooker. If using an old aluminum pressure cooker like I use, set it on high with the lid securely fastened. Once you hear the pressure build up (you’ll hear what sounds like “ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-“) then lower the temperature down to medium-low. Leave it for about another 20 minutes or so.
Always keep in mind that this part is VERY important. Can’t let the pressure cooker build too much pressure, because it can explode. After the 20 minutes, turn off the heat and leave the pressure cooker alone until you can tell that the pressure has released. Then you know it’s safe to open.
Once done, you’re left with the most tender beef and potatoes in a delicious sauce that you can pour over white rice.
