Beef and Red Bean Stew

Name: Beef and Red Bean Stew
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Argentine
Ingredients: 400 g red kidney beans (or pinto beans); Sunflower oil, as needed; 1 green pepper; 1 red pepper; 2 onions; 500 g ground beef (beef mince); 500 g roasting beef, cut into small cubes; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 300 ml lager; 150 g puréed tomatoes; 500 ml hot beef stock; 1 tbsp chilli flakes, for the majado; 1/2 tsp ground cumin, for the majado; 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, for the majado; 1 garlic clove, grated, for the majado; 1 tbsp lemon juice, for the majado; 2 tbsp sunflower oil, for the majado; Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

⏱ 75 min in total🔪 20 min prep🍳 55 min cooking🍽 8 portiesMediumRío de la Plata

A stew with two textures of meat — mince and cubes of roasting beef — and red beans that thicken it from the inside.

That thickening is the interesting part: half of the cooked beans are blended and returned to the pot, and the other half stays whole. So the stew comes out creamy without flour and without cream, and still has something to chew on.

And at the end comes a majado — a cold paste of chilli flakes, cumin, parsley, garlic, lemon and oil — stirred in only in the last few minutes. Cooked, it loses exactly the freshness it exists for.

Ingredients

Measurements

🍽 8 servings

400 g red kidney beans (or pinto beans)
Sunflower oil, as needed
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
2 onions
500 g ground beef (beef mince)
500 g roasting beef, cut into small cubes
1 tbsp tomato paste
300 ml lager
150 g puréed tomatoes
500 ml hot beef stock
1 tbsp chilli flakes, for the majado
1/2 tsp ground cumin, for the majado
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, for the majado
1 garlic clove, grated, for the majado
1 tbsp lemon juice, for the majado
2 tbsp sunflower oil, for the majado
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1
Soaking and pre-cooking: soak the red beans overnight in plenty of cold water in the fridge. The next day, throw that water away and cook them in fresh water until tender. Drain them, keeping the beans and part of the cooking liquid separately.
2
The natural thickener: take half of the cooked beans and blend them with a splash of the reserved cooking liquid to a smooth purée. Set this purée and the other half of the whole beans aside separately.
3
Browning the vegetables and the meat: finely chop the onions and both peppers. In a large pot with a film of sunflower oil, cook the vegetables for a few minutes. Add the mince along with the cubes of roasting beef and cook over high heat until everything takes a little colour.
4
Reducing and slow cooking: season with salt, add the tablespoon of tomato paste and the 300 ml of lager. Mix well and let it reduce over lively heat for a few minutes so the alcohol evaporates. Immediately after, add the puréed tomatoes and the hot beef stock. Stir, turn the heat down to its lowest and cook covered for 50 minutes.
5
The aromatic majado: while the stew cooks, make a dressing in a small bowl by combining the chilli flakes, the cumin, the chopped parsley, the grated garlic, the lemon juice and the 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil. Add this to the pot when there are only a few minutes of cooking time left.
6
Binding and serving: add both the whole beans and the bean purée you set aside at the start. Cook everything together for 5 minutes more, stirring gently, until the stew is thick, creamy and unified. Adjust the salt and pepper and serve hot.