Carne guisada is one of the main parts of La Bandera Dominicana - the traditional Dominican lunch meal - a dish served several times a week. Of all the carne guisada recipes, this simple but tender, and flavorsome Dominican carne de res guisada is a clear favorite.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Dec 27, 2003
Why we ❤️ it
Carne guisada (Dominican braised beef stew, Dominican braised chicken, or Dominican braised pork) appears nearly daily on our tables as part of our traditional Dominican lunch fare.
Carne de res guisada is made with inexpensive cuts of meat cooked over low heat. This results in a very tender meat and generous vegetable-rich sauce that turns brown as the juices released by the meat caramelize. It is perfect over steaming rice or concón. Just the way we love it.
Beef cuts for carne guisada
In the Dominican Republic, you simply go to the supermarket or butcher and ask for "res para guisar."
My preferred cut for this is beef skirt (falda, arrachera) -unorthodox, I know. More common cuts are top round or chuck roast. Bone-in meat (like neck bones and chuck short ribs) is also popular for this dish.
Notice how these cuts have some fat to them. Very lean meats tend to become dry and result in an unappetizing texture.
Carne guisada served next to rice, tostones, and salad.
Serving suggestions
Serve with arroz blanco, a side dish (or salad), and beans. Habichuelas guisadas and Dominican salad are our top choices. And don't forget some Dominican tostones.
It also goes great with Moro de habichuelas (Dominican rice and beans), avocado slices, and Arepitas de maíz (cornmeal fritters).
Top tips
- You may let the meat marinate overnight in the refrigerator, which, in my experience, improves the flavor and tenderizes the meat.
- Carne de res guisada in pressure cooker: To reduce cooking time, once the meat is browned, add 1½ cups of water and cook in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes. Uncover (following the instructions in the manual), check for tenderness, and repeat if it is still tough. Once tender, return to the Dutch oven and continue with step 4.
About this recipe
There are as many recipes for this dish as there are Dominican home cooks; each would definitely consider theirs the best Dominican carne guisada recipe.
And we're all kinda right.
This is my own family recipe, one in which oregano is one of the stars of the show, as should be the case since I am from Montecristi, a town famous for - among other things - the best Dominican oregano.
If you have any personal tricks for making Dominican beef stew, please share in the comments!
Video
Recipe
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Carne Guisada [Video+Recipe] Carne de Res Guisada Braised Beef
Ingredients
- 2 pound beef round, [0.91 kg], (or beef skirt) cut into small pieces.
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon oregano (dry, ground)
- 1 teaspoon pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground)
- 1½ teaspoon salt, (or more, to taste)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 2 tomato, chopped
- 2 bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, mashed
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 sprig parsley, chopped
Instructions
1. Seasoning the meat
Season the meat with pepper, oregano, and a teaspoon of salt. Add the lime juice to the meat. Stir to coat all the meat with the seasonings.Let it rest for 20 minutes in the refrigerator (see notes).
2. Browning the meat
- Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over high heat and add the meat and brown.
3. Cooking the meat
- Add 4 tablespoons of water, stir and cover. Lower the heat to medium-low.Repeat the process of adding water, stirring, and cooking covered until the meat is very tender, being careful not to burn it.This process can take 35 mins. to 1½ hours depending on the meat (see notes).
4. Cooking the vegetables
- Once the meat is tender, add peppers, onion, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir, then cook covered until the vegetables are soft.
5. Making sauce
- Add the tomato sauce and 1 cup of water and let it reduce to obtain a light sauce.Season with salt to taste, and sprinkle with the parsley.
6. Serving
Remove from heat and serve.See serving suggestions above the recipe.
Cook's Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More beef recipes
We have all the Dominican meat recipes for you, so don't miss the popular Filete encebollado (Onion fillet), Albóndigas guisadas (Dominican meatballs), Carne ripiada (pulled beef), Rabo encendido (Oxtail stew), Carne mechada (Dominican beef roll), Albondigón (Dominican meat loaf), and more.
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