Margarita's International Recipes

Durango

Caldillo Duranguense Durango Beef Stew Caldillo Duranguense was my only culinary venture into the Mexican state of Durango. I was pleased, but not terribly impressed. While the main vegetable ingredients in this stew, ancho chilies and tomatillos, were new to me - the results really weren't: this was basically stewed meat with a very mild, slightly acidic, green colored sauce. The flavors did improve after reheating, but I wouldn't bother making it again. Durango Beef Stew Ingredients 8 ancho chiles, seeded & deveined 3/4 lbs. tomatillos 2 Tbsp. cooking oil 2 1/2 lbs. sirloin or top round, cubed 1 white onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced salt to taste 1 Tbsp. flour 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 4 cups beef stock Instructions Put the chilies in a saucepan, cover with water, place on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and repeat the process: cover with water in a pan, bring to a boil and simmer until soft. Then drain. Place half of the chilies and of the tomatillos in a blender. Add 3/4 cup of water and puree until smooth. Repeat with the remaining half. Set aside Heat the oil in a large cooking pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef, onion and garlic. Season with salt. Saute, stirring frequently, until the meat and onion are golden brown. Add the flour and cumin and cook for five more minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chili/tomatillo puree, mix well, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the oregano and the stock, mix well, bring to a boil, then cover, turn the heat to low and simmer until the beef is tender, about 30 minutes. Serve with flour tortillas. Adapted from a recipe at Mexconnect.com Duranguense Recipes | Margarita's International Recipes | E-mail