Traditional Peruvian Dishes
Discover how to prepare Peruvian Beef Seco, a traditional recipe from Peru
Prepare a tender and flavorful Peruvian beef seco: a stew cooked slowly with cilantro, yellow pepper, and chicha de jora, served with white rice to enjoy every spoonful of its thick and aromatic sauce.
Beef seco is one of the most beloved stews in Peruvian cuisine. The meat is browned and then cooked over low heat with a seasoning of onion, garlic, yellow pepper, cilantro, and chicha de jora until it is tender and covered in a concentrated sauce.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓1 kg of beef for stew, cut into large pieces
- ✓2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- ✓1 large purple onion, finely chopped
- ✓4 cloves of garlic, chopped
- ✓3 tablespoons of ground yellow pepper
- ✓1 cup of fresh cilantro blended with 1/4 cup of water
- ✓1 cup of chicha de jora or light beer
- ✓2 cups of beef broth
- ✓1 teaspoon of cumin
- ✓1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- ✓1 teaspoon of black pepper
- ✓1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
- ✓2 carrots cut into slices
- ✓1 cup of peas
- ✓4 yellow potatoes, peeled and halved
- ✓4 cups of cooked white rice, to serve
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Dry the meat pieces well with paper towels to favor browning
Dry the meat pieces well with paper towels to favor browning.
- 02
Heat a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat
Heat a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and place the meat in a single layer. Brown it for 2 or 3 minutes on each side. If the pot is small, work in two batches. Remove the meat and set it aside.
- 03
Reduce the heat to medium and add the other tablespoon of oil
Reduce the heat to medium and add the other tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and sauté it for 6 or 8 minutes, until it is transparent and slightly browned.
- 04
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, being careful not to burn it
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, being careful not to burn it.
- 05
Add the yellow pepper, cumin, oregano, pepper, and salt
Add the yellow pepper, cumin, oregano, pepper, and salt. Cook the mixture for 2 minutes.
- 06
Pour in the blended cilantro and stir to integrate it
Pour in the blended cilantro and stir to integrate it. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until the seasoning takes on an intense green color and loses its raw aroma.
- 07
Return the meat to the pot and mix it with the seasoning
Return the meat to the pot and mix it with the seasoning. Add the chicha de jora and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned juices.
- 08
Let it simmer gently for 3 minutes to evaporate part of the alcohol
Let it simmer gently for 3 minutes to evaporate part of the alcohol. Add the beef broth; the liquid should cover about two-thirds of the meat.
- 09
Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes
Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the meat starts to become tender. Stir occasionally. If the sauce becomes too dry, add a little more hot broth.
- 10
When the meat is almost tender, add the carrots and yellow potatoes
When the meat is almost tender, add the carrots and yellow potatoes. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- 11
Add the peas and continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes more
Add the peas and continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes more, until the potatoes can be pierced with a fork, the carrots are soft, and the peas retain some texture.
- 12
Uncover the pot and taste the sauce
Uncover the pot and taste the sauce. Adjust the salt if necessary. If it is too liquid, let the stew reduce for a few minutes over medium heat. If the meat is still firm, continue cooking over low heat.
- 13
Serve a portion of white rice with the meat, potatoes, carrots, and peas
Serve a portion of white rice with the meat, potatoes, carrots, and peas. Cover everything with plenty of cilantro sauce and serve hot.
- Brown the meat in batches if necessary to prevent it from cooking in its own juices.
- You can substitute chicha de jora with light beer.
- Cook the stew over low heat to achieve tender and juicy meat.
- If the sauce becomes too liquid, reduce it without a lid at the end; if it becomes too dry during cooking, add a little hot broth.
- If you prepare the seco ahead of time, reheat it over low heat with a small stream of broth.
- Letting the stew rest for a few minutes before serving helps to integrate the flavors and makes the sauce more velvety.