Beef Picada

For the beef:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 900g roast beef, excess fat trimmed, cut into 2.5cm cubes
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or avocado oil, plus more if needed

For the sauce:

• 1 can (170 g) tomato paste
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 red pepper, stem and seeds removed
• 1/4 yellow or white onion (reserve the rest for braising)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 720 ml beef broth

For braising:

• 1 tablespoon of neutral oil
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 green pepper, thinly sliced
• The remaining 3/4 yellow or white onion, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

This dish features ground beef braised in a sauce with sautéed vegetables like onions , peppers , and tomatoes . Mexican cuisine is already very complex and varied between regions of the country, and this recipe is no exception. There are many variations of this tasty beef stew !

My take on this dish is similar to my mother's approach. She would often make it for me and my siblings when her days were a little long and she needed to cook something versatile enough to serve multiple ways: over rice , in a melty quesadilla filled with quesillo , or just plain tacos.

What type of beef to use:

While you can use ground skirt steak , I find that cubed beef roast is more tender and juicy, absorbs more of the flavor of the sauce, and performs better in a braise . By the end of cooking , the beef is so tender it melts in your mouth.

I like to coat the beef in flour and sear it before braising. Coating the beef in flour does a double duty: it helps brown it and gives it a rich caramel color and extra flavor, while also helping to thicken the sauce .

Although this recipe uses beef, feel free to substitute chicken thighs for the roast beef . Chicken thighs stay juicy and braise well and would work just as well here.

What vegetables to use:

For the vegetables, I wanted to keep it simple, so I opted for vegetables that are commonly found in fajitas : yellow onion plus red and green bell peppers . Since I use tomato paste in the sauce, I decided not to include any in the braise, but you can add your favorite vegetables like diced tomatoes , diced potatoes , or even diced carrots .

Using a pressure cooker or slow cooker:

To prepare beef picada in a pressure cooker , prepare the sauce, then sauté the beef and vegetables. Once ready, place the lid on and pressure cook for 40 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally.

Once the pressure is released, remove the lid and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly.

For the slow cooker , prepare the sauce, then sauté the beef and vegetables. Add everything to the slow cooker and cook on high until the beef is tender, about 2 hours, or on low for 4 hours.

How to serve carne picada:

There are several ways to serve beef picada. You can serve it with traditional Mexican red rice and beans , or over cilantro lime rice , topped with your favorite pico de gallo for a quick burrito bowl . You can also use it as a filling for burritos, sopes , and quesadillas .

Or keep it traditional and serve the beef picada taco style on corn tortillas topped with your favorite salsa and a little chopped onion and cilantro .

.

Method

1. Brown the beef:

1. Mix flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add beef and stir to coat.
2. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add half the beef. Cook for about 5 minutes without stirring, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes, making sure to get a nice rich brown color on each side.
3. Remove the beef to a bowl or plate and repeat the process with the remaining beef, adding more oil if necessary.

2. Prepare the sauce:

While the beef is browning, prepare the sauce. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

3. Sauté vegetables:

Once the beef is done and set aside, cook the braising vegetables in the same pan. Add the oil followed by the peppers and onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are slightly translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Braise:

Add the sauce to deglaze the pot, scraping up any brown bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the browned beef and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the pan, then remove the lid and cook for about 15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly.

Adjust salt to taste. Serve as a taco topping or over rice.