Carne guisada con plantanos (beef & plantai

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

1/2 c Pure Spanish olive oil
2 1/2 lb Boneless chuck cut into -2-inch chunks
1 lg Onion thickly sliced
1 lg Green bell pepper seeded -and diced
4 ea Cloves garlic finely -chopped
2 c Drained and chopped canned -whole tomatoes or
4 ea To 6 medium-size ripe -tomatoes coarsely chopped
1 c Dry sherry
1 c Cuban Beef Stock (see -CUBA03.TXT)
1 tb Salt
1 tb Spanish paprika (available -at gourmet shops)
1/2 ts Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 ts Cumin seeds crushed in a -mortar pn Of dried oregano
1 ea Bay leaf
3 md Plantains of medium -ripeness (yellow with Black spots)
2 tb Finely chopped fresh parsley
1 ea In a large

Instructions:

heavy-bottomed -casserole heat the oil -over medium heat until fragrant then brown the beef on all sides. Reduce the heat to low add the onions bell pepper and garlic and cook stirring until the onions are lightly browned 4 to 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except for the plantains and parsley cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours stirring frequently. Add more stock if necessary. 2. Cut the tips off the plantains peel and slice 1 inch thick. Add them to the casserole and cook over low heat until the plantains are tender another 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer the stew to a serving bowl sprinkle with parsley and serve hot. Makes 6 to 8 servings Mary Urrutia Randelman "Memories of a Cuban Kitchen" (Macmillan 1992) CARNE GUISADA CON PLATANOS Beef And Plantain Stew