Beef Stew with Capers & Olives
Submitted by rsmavis
A Caribbean-inspired ground beef stew loaded with briny capers, green olives, sweet currants, and warm spices like cinnamon and cloves. Served over rice for a bold, savory-sweet one-plate dinner.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
60 minREADY
90 minIf you think beef stew is just meat, potatoes, and gravy, this recipe is about to change your mind.
Ground beef simmers with a wild mix of flavors borrowed from Caribbean and Latin American kitchens: briny pimento-stuffed olives, tangy capers, plump soaked currants, white vinegar, and warm hits of cinnamon and cloves.
A splash of hot sauce ties it all together, and the tomatoes melt down into a thick, saucy base that is built for spooning over fluffy white rice.
It is the kind of dish that surprises people with how well sweet, salty, sour, and spicy all play together in one pot.
Kitchen Tips
- Soak the dried currants in warm water while you prep everything else. They plump up and add little bursts of sweetness throughout the stew.
- Break the ground beef apart with the side of a metal spoon as it cooks so you get a fine, even texture without any big clumps.
- Skim the fat off the surface as it cooks. The stew simmers for 45 minutes and the fat will rise naturally, making it easy to remove.
- Start with a small dash of hot sauce and build from there. You can always add more heat, but you cannot take it back.
Ingredients
Directions
Place the currants in a bowl and cover with warm water. Set aside to soak.
Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a kettle and add the onion, garlic and green pepper.
Cook, stirring, until wilted. Add the olives, capers, vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and tabasco sauce to taste.
Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 min.
While the vegetable mixture is cooking, heat the remaining oil in a skillet and add the meat. Cook, breaking up the meat with the side of a metal spoon to prevent lumps, until the meat loses its red color.
Add the meat to the vegetable mixture and stir to blend.
Drain the currants and add them.
Add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring often, about 45 min.
Skim off the fat as it rises to the surface during cooking.
- Serve hot with freshly cooked rice.
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