I don't remember if I have mentioned this before, but when I was 10
years old my family moved to Montevideo (saludos a mis lectores
uruguayos), the capital of Uruguay (it's the one just below Brazil and
just above Argentina). We spent about five years there and had the
good fortune to visit Buenos Aires a couple of dozen times. There we
discovered this traditional Argentinean dish and it has been a family
favorite ever since.
You can basically use your favorite recipe for beef stew, with the
addition of the peaches and corn on the cob, and served in the pumpkin
shell as described below. Whatever you do, don't omit the peaches.
They make this dish unique and add a wonderful dimension of sweetness.
Carbonada (Argentinean Beef Stew)
3 Tbs (45 ml) butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1+1/2 lb (700 g) tender beef, cut in cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 white potatoes, peeled and diced
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups beef broth, consomme, or red wine
8 peach halves (fresh or canned)
4 ears of corn on the cob, cut into 1 in (2 cm) pieces
1 6 to 8 lb (3 to 4 kg) pumpkin, top removed and
seeds and membranes removed
Heat the butter in a large, heavy pot over moderate heat. Add the
garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes, until tender but now browned.
Add the tomatoes, pepper, beef, salt and pepper and let cook for 15
minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes and sweet potatoes
and broth or wine. Stir and lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes,
stirring occasionally and adding more liquid if necessary. Add the
peach halves and the corn and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, butter the rim of the pumpkin and salt and pepper the
inside liberally. Place in a large oven proof serving dish and bake
in a 350F (180C) oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the flesh is tender
but still firm and still offers resistance to a fork. Do not allow
the pumpkin to become too soft or it will collapse. Fill the pumpkin
with the stew and serve immediately, including some of the cooked
pumpkin with each portion. Hint: I recommend you bake and serve the
pumpkin in the same dish to avoid breaking the pumpkin by handling it,
and in a dish large enough to hold the stew in case the pumpkin
bursts. Serves 6 to 8.