Mexican cuisine · Meat & Kebab

Beef in Chile Colorado Sauce

Northern Mexican beef cubes braised long and slow in a bold red sauce of chile California and guajillo.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g beef shoulder
• 6 guajillo chiles
• 4 chile California (or more guajillo)
• 1 white onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp oil
• 700 ml beef broth
• 1 bay leaf

Instructions

1. Cut the beef shoulder into 3 cm cubes, pat dry and salt; seed the guajillo chiles and chile California.
2. Toast the chiles in a dry pan for 30 sec. per side, until fragrant, then soak in hot water for 20 min.
3. Sear the meat in batches in the hot oil for 4–5 min. on all sides until well browned, then remove; sauté the flour in the fat left in the pot for 1 min., stirring.
4. Finely puree the chiles with half the onion, the garlic, oregano, cumin and 300 ml beef broth, then strain into the pot through a sieve.
5. Add the meat, the remaining diced onion, the bay leaf and the rest of the broth, and braise covered over low heat for 90 min., until the meat gives way under pressure.
6. Finally, reduce the sauce uncovered for 10 min., until it coats the spoon, and serve the chile colorado in deep bowls.