Cazuela de Vacuno
This cazuela is a rustic Argentine beef stew with a light but deeply savory broth, tender chunks of beef, sweet pumpkin, creamy potato, green beans, and corn on the cob. It is warming, generous, and balanced, with the vegetables enriching the broth while still keeping their shape.
Ingredients
Para la cazuela
- 350 gbeef chuck, cut into 3 cm cubes
- 20 mlolive oil
- 150 gonion, diced
- 2 cloves (10 g)garlic, minced
- 200 gtomato, peeled and chopped
- 15 gtomato paste
- 800 mlbeef stock
- 250 gpotato, peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
- 250 gpumpkin, peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
- 120 ggreen beans, trimmed and cut in half
- 1 cob (180 g)corn on the cob, cut into 4 rounds
- 1bay leaf
- 1 tsp (1 g)dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp (1 g)ground cumin
- 1 tsp (2 g)sweet paprika
- 7 gfine salt
- 1 gblack pepper
Para terminar
- 10 gfresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- 1
Prepare all the vegetables and beef before heating the pot: dice the onion, mince the garlic, chop the tomato, peel and cut the potato and pumpkin into even chunks, trim the beans, and cut the corn into rounds. Keeping the vegetable pieces fairly large helps them stay intact during simmering.
- 2
Heat a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then sear the beef in a single layer for 4-5 minutes until well browned on at least two sides. Do not overcrowd the pot; good browning builds the stew's flavor.
- 3
Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- 4
Add the chopped tomato and tomato paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until the tomato softens and the paste darkens slightly; this removes raw acidity and deepens the color.
- 5
Pour in the beef stock and add the bay leaf, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover partially and cook for 20 minutes, adjusting the heat so the liquid bubbles softly rather than boiling hard.
- 6
Add the potato, pumpkin, and corn. Return to a steady simmer and cook for 12 minutes. The vegetables should begin to soften while the beef continues to tenderize.
- 7
Add the green beans and continue simmering for 8-10 minutes, partially covered, until the beef is tender, the potato is cooked through, the pumpkin is soft but not disintegrating, and the broth is lightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- 8
Turn off the heat and let the cazuela rest for 5 minutes so the broth settles and the flavors meld. Remove the bay leaf.
- 9
Ladle into warm bowls, making sure each serving gets beef, vegetables, corn, and broth. Finish with chopped parsley and serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •If your beef chuck is especially tough, cut it into slightly smaller 2.5 cm cubes to help it tenderize within the 60-minute schedule.
- •For a richer broth, replace 100 ml of the stock with dry white wine and simmer it for 1 minute after adding the tomatoes.
- •Serve with crusty bread or a spoonful of ají molido on the side if you like gentle heat.
- •Pumpkin can be replaced with butternut squash in the same quantity.
Background
Cazuela de vacuno is part of a broad South American tradition of hearty, brothy stews that combine meat with seasonal vegetables in one pot. In Argentina, this style of home cooking is especially associated with colder weather and rural kitchens, where practical, nourishing meals are built from beef, maize, potatoes, and squash.
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