Brazilian recipe
Beef Stew with Pumpkin and Collard Greens (Ensopado de carne com abóbora e couve)
A homely Brazilian beef stew with tender chuck, sweet Japanese pumpkin and fresh collard greens, finished with a rich, warming broth.
0.0 / 5 by 0 Reviews
Ingredients
1 kg chuck beef
400 g Japanese pumpkin, cut into 3 cm cubes (about 3 cups)
7 collard green leaves
1/3 cup diced bacon (about 50 g), optional
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups hot water
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp ground cumin
1 pinch sugar
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp olive oil
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
400 g Japanese pumpkin, cut into 3 cm cubes (about 3 cups)
7 collard green leaves
1/3 cup diced bacon (about 50 g), optional
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups hot water
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp ground cumin
1 pinch sugar
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp olive oil
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Where to find ingredients
In Pakistan, buy chuck beef from a halal butcher or supermarket meat counter, and find pumpkin, collard greens or similar leafy greens, onions, garlic, vinegar, spices and bay leaves in vegetable markets and grocery stores. Japanese pumpkin is ideal; kabocha or another firm sweet pumpkin may be used as an explicit substitute if needed.
Preparation method
- Cut the chuck beef into 3 cm cubes
- Place the meat in a bowl and season with 1 teaspoon salt, the cumin and the black pepper
- Mix well so all the pieces are seasoned, then leave at room temperature while you prepare the remaining ingredients
- Cut the onions into 2 cm cubes
- Finely chop the garlic
- Heat the water in a kettle
- Place a pressure cooker over medium heat
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and brown the meat in batches so the pan does not cool down and the cubes colour well
- Remove the sealed meat and set aside in a bowl, repeating with the rest and adding a little more olive oil if needed
- In the same cooker, add 1 teaspoon olive oil and fry the bacon until it starts to release its fat
- Saute the onion with a pinch of salt and sugar for about 5 minutes, until lightly caramelised
- Stir in the garlic, cinnamon and bay leaves, cooking for 1 minute
- Pour in the vinegar and scrape the bottom of the cooker with a spatula to loosen the tasty browned bits
- Add the hot water, return the meat to the cooker and adjust with 1 teaspoon salt
- Close the cooker and increase the heat
- When it starts to whistle, reduce the heat and cook for 25 minutes
- Prepare the collard greens by washing the leaves, removing the stalks and tearing them into 4 cm pieces
- After the cooking time, switch off the heat and carefully release the pressure under running water
- Open the cooker, add the pumpkin and mix gently
- Close the lid again and place over high heat
- Once it reaches pressure, lower the heat and count 1 minute
- Switch off the heat and release the pressure again under running water
- Finish by adding the collard greens, which will cook in the residual heat of the stew
- Serve at once, making sure the broth takes on some of the slightly softened pumpkin
Observations
This stew is comforting and well suited to a family meal. The key is to brown the beef properly first, so the cooking liquid develops a deeper, fuller flavour.
Ratings and comments