Categorized | Beef
A delectable stewed beef recipe, the Caribbean way.
Posted on 13 June 2009
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you may have come to the conclusion that the majority of dishes we prepare includes the process of “stewing”. Unlike what’s considered a stew in places like Canada and the US, our stews are based on the principle of caramelizing the meats to give it that so-unique brown colour and that marvelous flavour. But that very far from the truth, as our food culture is highly influenced by the many different races that make up the vibrant melting pot the Caribbean is. Today we’ll take a look at one of my dad’s most beloved dishes, stew beef!
Similar in every aspect of the other stewed dishes I’ve posted, except this one will take a bit longer to cook (to ensure that the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender) and we’re using beef, rather than chicken or pork.
You’ll need…
1.5 lbs beef – cubed into 1 inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 cloves of garlic – thinly sliced or crushed
1 teaspoon fresh or bottled ginger – crushed. (use 1/2 if it’s ginger powder)
2 tablespoon vegetable oil (one that can withstand high heat)
1 medium onion – chopped
1 medium tomato – chopped
2 tablespoon cilantro (or 2 tbs Trinidad green meat seasoning)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 1/4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 hot pepper (only if you like your food spicy)
1 green onion or chive – chopped
2 sprigs of fresh thyme (1 teaspoon dried)
1 lime or lemon or 3 tablespoons of vinegar
1 small shallot
* I’ve seen my dad put mushrooms (white button variety) near the end of cooking and I must admit that though not traditional, it’s does compliment the dish. But I must admit that I do love mushrooms, so I’ll enjoy it in just about any dish.
Start by cutting the beef into 1 inch cubes, then using the lime (lemon or vinegar) wash (with water - not the one mentioned in the recipe) the pieces of meat and drain. With the cubed pieces of beef in a bowl, start to season. Add all the ingredients mentioned above, except the oil, water and sugar. We’ll be using those later on in the dish. Allow the seasoned meat to marinate for at least 30 minuets before cooking. For best results, leave to marinate about 2 hrs in the fridge.
As we’ve practiced in other stewed dishes, it’s time to get the sugar ready. In a heavy pot on high heat pour in the oil and allow to get hot, then place the sugar and move it around so it starts to melt, change color and bubble. Remember to use a long handle spoon to prevent getting burn and have the seasoned meat within reach. This step requires good timing. When you see the sugar fully melted and turns to a rich brown colour (see pic below), start putting in the pieces of meat. Remember to stir everything around, so it’s fully coated.
Leave on high heat for about 3 minutes, then turn down the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Allow to cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure all the pieces of beef gets evenly browned. You’ll notice that dish will release natural juices. Now remove the lid and turn the heat back to high med-high. We want to burn-off all the liquid and give the meat the lasting rich brown colour.
In the same bowl we seasoned the beef, add the water and swoosh it around a bit so every bit of remaining seasoning is mixed in with the water. When all the liquid (see pic above) is burnt away from the pot, add the water from the bowl.
Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer. With the pot covered, allow to cook for about 1 hour or until the beef is really tender. If after the 1 hour of cooking there’s still a lot of water left in the pot, do turn up the heat and allow to burn off. You’re looking for a nice thick gravy.
This dish makes for a great topping for rice or ground provisions. In the pic above I have it resting on a nice bed of steamy boiled yams. But you can also pair it well with any side you usually serve meats with – salads, mashed potatoes … it’s also amazing on macaroni and cheese.
Other stewed dishes:
Please take a moment to share your experience with this recipe or if you have another version of it. Do leave me a comment below.
54 Responses to “A delectable stewed beef recipe, the Caribbean way.”
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Any chance that you will be posting an oxtails recipe?
Lillie, most definitely. Once I get a chance to drive down to Toronto (you get better selection of ox tails) and I also need to speak with my mom… gotta clone her recipe
Or maybe I get my Friends from Dominica to share his recipe with everyone.
Stay tuned.
I particularly like the flavour that burnt-sugar gives to beef stews.
Hi Chris,
Stewed beef always goes well with provision. You can also add chopped cabbage and carrots to the pot just as the liquid dries down and the beef is tender. and let it cook for five minutes more before taking it off the fire. Sometime I try it with melongenne and put a teaspoon of curry powder in it for added flavour.
Happy cooking
Debbie
Debbie, thanks for leaving us with that tip. my mom has a way of using left over stew beef (well any stew meat) with melongene and potato. So she cooks the melogene with the potato (curry or not) and near the end adds the leftover stewed beef. amazing with roti or fry bake. Goes well as a topping for rice as well.
happy cooking
Chris
.-= Chris De La Rosa´s last blog ..7 Ways To Locate Clients And Job Opportunities if you’re a virtual assistant. =-.
chris you did it agaian lol, that stew beef looks so deicious,guess what we’ll be having for dinner tonight
)))
Chris…thank this recipe was awesome
Hello Peter and Chrissy.. thanks for commenting.
happy cooking
chris…
.-= Chris De La Rosa´s last blog ..The 2009 Ancaster Home Show. =-.
Hi. I tried the stew pork recipe. However, once I added the brown sugar to carmelize, I think I waited a few seconds too long so the dish was a little bitter. Now I know to add the meat IMMEDIATELY! LOL! What could I do to the dish once this happens to save the flavor?
smacknyc, sad to say but once the sugar is overcooked (burnt or too dark) there isn’t much you can do to get the flavour or taste of true stew. I would recommend, that you turn down you heat and remove the pot off the stove. Then on dry paper towels, drain out the burnt sugar from the pot. Few things.. don’t allow it to get on your skin (it will be very hot), don’t pour it on water or your sink and don’t allow it to cool in your pot or you risk it sticking.
Then when the pot cools, wash and start back from scratch with the sugar (be sure the pot is dry before starting back).
happy cooking
chris
Looks lovely but I add white potatoes ( dice and add) when it reach half way because potatoes are easy to cook. All your stuff is good I love the step by step with the pictures.
Gale, thanks for the kind comments. Yes, there are times when I add potatoes as well. Great tip though.
happy cooking
chris…
great going chris,your recipes are very clear and you bring them on in a timely fashion.you are leaving a legacy in cooking for all.
Lal.. thank you very much. your appreciation is what fuels my desire to continue.
happy cooking
chris…
Hey there! Recipe is wonderful! I do have a technical question though… I was making a bigger batch of this recipe as I was expecting to feed a lot of boys. I did put all the meat in at once and noticed quite a bit of liquid, sugar was not seasing up on the meat….i could not get the liquid to evaporate has it seemed the meat was steaming in liquid instead. I did retrieve all the meat and started the browning process again, this time in several batches. That worked pretty well. My question is the following: the meat, although breaking apart with a fork, was quite dry inside. Does this have anything to do with the meat itself(witch seems to be pretty good quality) or does this have anything to do with the way i initially browned it? Thanks for you help!!!
Claudine, great question. Though stew beef does have a bit of a gravy (depends if you’re like me and little sauce), for some reason it’s does turn out to be a bit dry as you mentioned. If you could get stewing beef with some “marbling” (lines of fat through it), you may have better results. I also believe that if you marinate the meat in the seasoning a bit longer it should help in being a bit less dry at the end.
BTW, if your pot is big enough (wide) and you use enough sugar you should not have to brown in batches. Follow the recipe as I did for the browning part.. it will seem that the meat is not as brown.. but the longer you cook it (before adding water) it will start taking on a nice rich brown colour.
If there’s anyone who can add to the response, it would be appreciated.
happy cooking
chris…
Hi Chris,
A suggestion for Claudine.Use a colander to drain the seasoned meat of excess water(once meat is properely seasoned it will spring water), before you add the meat to the oil.Problem solved.
In my opinion a heavy,deep(4"mimimum)pot should be used for stews.
A nice addition to this recipie is to add potatoes and/or carrots to the final hour/hour and a half of cooking.Lovely with white rice and a salad.Cut the potatoes approx 1"sq and slice the carrots thinly.
Thanks Chris! I will definitly look for marbeling… just like on a good piece of steak i guess! i used a non stick frying pan, would a heavy pot give me better result for browning the meat? I live in Montreal and i have not been able to find one of those traditionnal carribean pots… Last question: the meat you use is packaged under “stewing beef cubes”? i also see “bourgignon beef cubes”, will that give the same result? Thanks again so much for all your help! Your work is so appreciated!
Claudine, When I first started living on my own I too didn’t have access to the heavy type pots I have today. At that time I did use non-stick pans and if my memory serves me correct, I did encounter problems with the browning process as well. I’, not sure if you guys have “Winners” stores in Montreal, but they’re a good source for affordable pans. Though not the same as the ones we get in the Caribbean, but heavy stainless steel steel and copper based ones that works well. Re: “bourgignon beef cubes”, I’ve never seen those sold here locally, so I really can’t comment. Here in Ontario we tend to get 2 types of “stewing beef cubes” 1. That’s very lean and can be a bit pricey (not sure why people buy those) and the other is basically pieces of beef that trimmed off more expensive cuts (most people don’t realize this). These pieces tend to have a bit of fat in them, but the flavour is real nice.
Another thing about the pans. We recently got one of those heavy dutch ovens on sale at Canadian Tire (about $40 I think)… and though I’m pleased with the pots I got From Trini… this one is boss for stewing as we do.
Do keep in contact.
Chris…
Thanks again Chris! Yes, we do have winners here in MTL, quite a few actually… so i will take a look! I also will look for the dutch oven, i do have many canadian recipe that calls for one of those and never got around getting one so mabe that could be use all the time! Regarding the meat, i buy it at costco (price club in some other area's) and they sale the lean stewing beef cubes at about 8$ a kilo… i have not seen other types of beef cubes but i will ask the butcher next time i go! Thanks again for all the great suggestions, i will try this recipe again and let you know how it turns out! Merci!
Claudine, I’ve had great success with the stewing beef from Costco. But there are the occasions when it does turn out dry as we discussed earlier as well. BTW, if you ever cross the border into the US, try target or Marshalls for the dutch ovens as well.
If you find that the beef is not working out for you, you can always use pork or chicken. I’ve posted the pork recipe already and can certainly post the chicken one if you’re interested.
happy cooking
chris…
I buy meat from Costco's also. Although I'm not from the Carribean, I make beef stews, and always use chuck beef or a thick chuck steak and cut it up myself. It's cheaper, and much tastier than "stew beef", which is usually sirloin, and tends to dry out.
Chris, I like your posts, food and videos. I tried several recipes, and tasted like just like I remember from Trinidad.
Thank you, please do post the chicken one Chris! My family loves stew chicken and we usually order out once a week for it! I’d love to be able to cook a nice authentic dish they can enjoy! My canadian recipe is ok but they really like caribbean stew chicken and i must say, it does taste much better!
Claudine..hopefully I’ll have time within the next few days to post the recipe.
happy cooking
chris…
Hi Chris! The result was absolutly delicious! For the meat, I used the brisket tip as it was on sale and had marvelous marbling in it! My hubby was impressed
For the pot, i manage to snatch one at Canadian Tire as they were on sale 60% off, originaly 150$!!! They are not cheap, as you mentionned 
It’s the kitchenaid brand. I believe it’s cast iron and enamel covered. Looks pretty much like the one in your “rice and peas without peas?” recipe. If anyone else is searching, i also found at Homesense (afiliated with winners) a variaty of them in green and orange, for only 40$ Not bad considering what they usually ask for them.
Anyhow, once more, thanks so much for all your help! I will be looking forward for the stew chicken recipe!
Have a great week Chris and keep up the good work, i know my family is enjoying it!!!!!
Lovely.
Hi Chris
I came across this when Googling for something different to do with some frozen stewing beef – thanks so much, it was really awesome! I left the lime juice in the marinade as I really love the whole citrus-y taste, and I used palm sugar (mainly as it was what I have, but I adore the fudgy flavour) and we LOVED it!
So thanks again
James
glad to know you liked it. give some of the other recipes a try.
Chris, this recipe was awesome…I have had a few versions of Stewed Beef and his was one of the best!…my in-laws are from USVI so their spin is a little different…the only thing I did different was add carrots…excellent recipe!
nice.. so happy that it turned out well for you and I love the fact that you're adding your own touch to it.
Chris… This was my first time trying a recipe from the site, and I followed it word for word. OMG!!! YUM YUM YUM!!! I Amost licked the plate clean, and I invited a friend over to try it. I think she DID lick hers clean! Served it over rice, w/mofongo, salad, and sweet plantains. Beef was like butter! And I'm not even from the islands. Sure tasted like it though! Thanks much : -)
mofongo, salad, and sweet plantains.. now you're getting me hungry. thx for stopping by, trying the recipe and leaving this comment. much appreciated.
Yes! That is the dish right there! Uh huh. Think that will come up on the menu tomorrow
Having been reading a lot of your recipes for a while – I finally got around to cooking this dish! It is now on the stove in a dutch pot given to me by a good friend. The smells are incredible, just have to wait an hour for it to stew. Thanks for the site and I cannot wait to cook lots, lots more of your recipes.
This is my fav beef dish to cook now! I don't eat much red meat but I love this recipe…I was actually going to make it today when I got this email. I was thinking about throwing a can of pigeon peas in there…is that a faux pas? As always thanks for posting great recipes!
Cooked this dish tonight,fairly simple to do and tastes amazing..we had ours with plain boiled rice and roasted butternut squash seasoned with everyday seasoning..i gotta make sure i got the scotch bonnet next time as it missed the flavor.the other half has asked for it again next week so it must be good…..thanks for the recipie
love your detailed steps….just made and had stewed beef today….good job!!!
Hi Chris–
I have been following your recipes for several months now and have prepard many of your featured recipes. They have all been exellent! The Stewed beef was wonderful (I added the mushrooms-Yum). I have noticed several of the beef recipes suggest that the meat be rinsed in a lemon/lime/vinegar solution, and then drained. You have probably posted this before, but what does the acid of the juice/vinegar do to the beef?
thank you for this recipe.
We used it today and it came out superb.
Jake
HI
How many does this serve?
Cheers
About 4-6 with a side.
My brother recommended I would possibly like this website. He was once totally right. This put up actually made my day. You cann’t imagine just how much time I had spent for this info! Thanks!
.-= beds with storage´s last 1 ..1 =-.
Ive made stew chicken and stew beef before, but decided to see other trini recipes out there. So I'm trying this one tonight, I already have my meat marinating!
hi, i enjoyed this recipe and blogged about it here http://whatsfordinnermama.blogspot.com/2012/04/ca…
Absolutely delicious! I made this last night and my husband who is from Trinidad loved it. It was delicious and I will look into more of your recipes…please keep them coming….I will definitely add this one to the rotation.
Looks absolutely delicious, i will be making this!! Can you also use this recipe with chicken?
We just finished our plates . . this was just delicious an reminds me so much of my time in Trinidad. husband has just asked that it go into or meal rotation
That is a big thumbs up!
Chris,
You need to move to New Orleans. Some of your ingredients are local here.
Best Regards, my friend!
-Joe
I’m sat eagerly waiting my attempt at your stew beef, the aromas are tempting I’m sure its going to taste great
Chris, Thanks to you I have revisited so many of my childhood meals and even tried some new ones. Your demonstrations make it easy to follow any recipe and as long as the ingredients are available, I try to cook WI food as often as possible – even if it means making the trip from Burlington into Toronto to find what I need. I surprised myself with making a successful batch of T’dad Hops breads which my Canadian/Bajan/Italian grandkids loved with fishcakes. Keep on doing what you’re doing – you’re making alot of people very happy. Best for 2013 to you & family, Chris.
Thank you from Georgia !!! My family loves all of these dishes. Nikki
Chris, I'm a West Indian leaving in Denver, Co and there's not one Caribbean restaurant to be found here. With your recipes, I'm bringing it home. Thank You.
Cúzãom!