Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
An Argentine beef stew, slow-simmered with pumpkin, potato and sweet dried apricots. Lightly sweet, deeply savoury and lovely with crusty bread.
Carbonada criolla is a rustic Argentine beef stew that runs sweet and savoury at once. Chunks of pumpkin and dried apricots soften alongside the meat and vegetables, lending a gentle sweetness against the rich stock. In its homeland it often arrives in a hollowed pumpkin, which makes a humble pot of stew feel like an occasion.
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Prep 25 min
Cook 120 min
Total 145 min
Medium
Scale:
- 500g Beef
- 1 chopped Onion
- 2 chopped Carrots
- 2 chopped Potatoes
- 1 small Pumpkin
- 100g Dried Apricots
- 2 Litres Beef Stock
- To taste Salt
- To taste Pepper
Preparation
- Brown the beef cubes in a large pot, then lift them out and set aside.
- In the same pot, cook the onion until translucent, then add the carrots, potatoes and pumpkin and let them cook for a few minutes.
- Return the beef, pour in the stock, add the dried apricots and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for one to two hours, until the beef is tender.
- Serve hot with a piece of crusty bread.
- For the best results, sear the beef in batches and stir the apricots in near the end so they keep their texture and gentle sweetness.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Brown the beef in batches rather than crowding the pan, so it sears properly and gives the stew a deep, meaty backbone.
- Hold the apricots back until the last stretch of cooking; they keep more bite and their sweetness stays bright.
- Cut the pumpkin into generous chunks so the pieces survive the simmer instead of collapsing into mush.
- Keep the heat low and let it go slowly until the beef pulls apart at the touch of a spoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
From the pumpkin and dried fruit. Apricots do most of the work, though some cooks add peaches or corn. That soft sweetness is what sets the dish apart.
Reach for a braising cut such as chuck or shin. The connective tissue breaks down over the long cook and turns the meat tender.
You can. The classic version bakes and serves the whole stew inside a hollowed-out pumpkin, which looks wonderful at the table.
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