Main dishes
Sudado de carne: Beef Stew with Potatoes and Vegetables
Seared beef cubes slowly cooked with onion, tomato, bell pepper, carrot and potato until the meat shreds with a fork and the sauce turns silky.
- Total time
- 165 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cuisine
- Colombian
Ingredients
Beef and seasoning
Sofrito
Cooking
To serve
Method
Dry and season the beef
Pat the 3 cm beef cubes dry with paper towels and trim off any large pieces of hard fat. Toss with 6 g salt, 2 g black pepper and 3 g cumin. Let them rest 15 minutes at room temperature while you cut the vegetables.
Cut the vegetables
Cut 300 g onion into strips, 150 g bell pepper into 1 cm strips and 400 g tomato into 1.5 cm cubes. Mince 20 g garlic. Cut 200 g carrot into 1 cm slices and 600 g potato into 3 cm cubes; keep the potato in cold water so it does not darken, and drain it before using.
Sear the beef in batches
Heat 15 ml oil in a 5-liter pot over high heat. Brown the beef in 3 batches, without crowding the pot, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until it has a brown crust. Move each batch to a plate; it does not need to cook through.
Soften the onion, garlic and pepper
Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 15 ml oil. Sauté the onion, garlic and bell pepper for 6 to 8 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until the onion is translucent.
Add the tomato and return the beef
Stir in the 400 g tomato and cook 5 minutes, until it releases its juice and starts to break down. Return the beef with the juices it released on the plate and stir to coat it in the sofrito.
Simmer the beef over low heat
Pour in 500 ml hot water or broth, bring to a boil and reduce to the lowest heat. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and cook 75 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes. If the bottom dries out, add 100 ml water. The beef should be almost tender but still firm.
Add the carrot and potato
Add the carrot slices and the drained potato cubes. Stir, cover and cook 25 to 30 minutes over low heat, until a fork slides through the potato and a piece of beef shreds with little pressure. Stir gently so the potato does not break.
Rest, adjust and serve
Turn off the heat and let the stew rest, covered, for 10 minutes so the sauce thickens. Taste and adjust with up to 2 g salt. Divide among 6 plates, sprinkle with the 15 g cilantro and serve with white rice or arepa.
The step photos are illustrative.
Notes
Nutrition facts
1 serving (1/6 of the recipe)
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbohydrates
- 31 g
- Fat
- 35 g
- Saturated fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 5.5 g
Estimate per serving using beef with visible fat (stew meat, trimmed to 3 mm). A leaner cut or more trimmed fat lowers calories and fat. Salt is adjusted to taste and sodium is not included.
Reference source: USDA FoodData Central — SR Legacy (2018)
For general information only; it does not replace advice from a qualified health or nutrition professional.
About this recipe
Sudado is a beef stew cooked covered, over low heat, in its own juices. Here the beef is seared first for flavor, tossed into a sofrito of onion, garlic, bell pepper and tomato, and simmered for 75 minutes before the carrot and potato go in.
The key is time and patience: cuts with collagen, such as brisket, flank, shoulder or chuck, turn tender with long, gentle cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings and is served with white rice or arepa.
Frequently asked questions
Which cut of beef should I use for sudado?
Choose cuts with collagen, such as brisket, flank, shoulder or chuck. They tenderize with long, gentle cooking; lean cuts like sirloin turn dry.
Why is my beef still tough?
It is almost always too little time or too high a heat. Keep the liquid at a barely visible simmer, cover with the lid ajar and extend the cooking in 15-minute steps, tasting a piece each time.
Can I freeze sudado?
Yes, but without the potato: cooked potato turns grainy after thawing. Freeze the beef with the sauce and carrot, and add fresh potato when reheating.
