Argentinean Beef Stew

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Sharon Mitcheltree for passing this along:

The highlight of my childhood was making my brother laugh so hard that
food came out of his nose. - Garrison Keillor

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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My family discovered this dish when we lived in Uruguay in the 1960s,
and it has been one of our "special occasion" meals for over 40 years.
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.

Argentinean Beef Stew (Carbonada)

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 (500 ml) beef broth, consommé, or red wine
8 peach halves (fresh or canned)
4 ears of corn on the cob, cut into 1-inch (2 cm) pieces
1 6-8 lb (3-4 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 not 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 ovenproof 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.
Received on Wed Jun 3 18:28:45 2009