Res Guisada (Dominican Braised Beef) is a tender meat dish that is one of the components of La Bandera Dominicana, the traditional Dominican lunch meal.
Why we ❤️ it
Carne de Res Guisada (Braised Beef Stew Dominican-Style) makes regular appearances for lunch as part of our traditional Dominican lunch fare.
The cut
In the Dominican Republic you simply go to the supermarket or butcher and ask for "res para guisar". Outside of here, it's a little more complicated.
What you should know about this Dominican style stewed beef is that it is a humble dish, for this we use very inexpensive cuts, then it is cooked at low temperatures, for a long time. This results in a very tender meat and a very rich sauce that turns brown as the juices released by the meat caramelize. Fast food this is not!
Save the more expensive cuts for another time, and buy something very economical, with or without bone.
About this recipe
There are as many recipes for this dish as there are Dominican home cooks, each would definitely consider hers or his the best Dominican carne guisada recipe. 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 -- oregano. If you have another way of making Dominican beef stew, let us know in the comments!
Recipe
[Recipe + Video] Res Guisada (Dominican-Style 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
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).- Browning the meat: Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over high heat and add the meat and brown.
- 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).
- Cooking vegetables: Once the meat is tender, add peppers, onion, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir, then cook covered until the vegetables are soft.
- 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. Remove from heat.
Serving: Serve with arroz blanco, a side dish (or salad), and beans. It also goes great with moro de habichuelas (Dominican rice and beans).
Video
Tips and Notes
Carne de res guisada in pressure cooker
To reduce cooking time, once the meat is browned, you can add 1½ cup of water and cook in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes. Uncover (following the instructions in the manual), check for tenderness, and repeat if still tough. Once tender, return to the stove and continue with step 4.Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutritional information.
