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.
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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!
Buen provecho!
Res Guisada Recipe (Dominican-Style Braised Beef)
Ingredients
- 2 lb of beef [0.91 kg], (round or skirt) cut into small pieces.
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1½ teaspoon of salt (or more, to taste)
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 1 red onion chopped
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 2 bell peppers chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic mashed
- 1 cup of tomato sauce
- 1 sprig of 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.
I'm Dominican and now living in a suburb of IL (originally from NYC - Dominican Mecca)... not many of us out here. I've mastered the pollo guisao based on your recipe and am so excited to now try the carne de res guisa'. Wish me luck.
We go to the DR 2x's a year and love Dominican food. I would love to be able to make it back here in the states. I tried this recipe and my house here smelled just like our house in Santiago. Better yet the Carne de Rez Guisada was awesome… Read more »
Thank you!!!!! I'm Dominican and I love the food but I don't know how to cook nor do I like cooking... "Dominican Cooking" is my must-go place before my husband and I embark in any cooking adventure! Aunt Clara makes us look as if we were professional chefs!! We love… Read more »