Chile colorado is a Mexican stew made of beef or pork chunks simmered in a robust red salsa made of dried chiles and spices.
To lighten up this hearty dish, I like to add nopales for balance. Nopales are rich in fiber, antioxidants and vitamin C. They're truly a superfood that compliments an array of dishes.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lbs beef (lean stew meat of choice)
1 cup nopales (cooked)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tbsp all purpose flour (or less)
1 cup water
1 tbsp of chicken bouillon
(pinch of garlic & onion powder)
Salsa Roja:
3 Chile Guajillo
3 Chile California (or ancho/pasilla)
3 Chile de Arbol
1/4 white onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste
PREP
Clean, devein and remove seeds from chiles.
Fill a sauce pot with water, add chiles, onion, garlic, tomato and bring to a boil. Cover and cook until tomato is tender. Approximately 10 minutes.
Remove from heat. Set aside.
Over medium high heat, add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a sauté pan.
Season beef with pepper, a pinch of garlic powder and onion powder. Sprinkle beef with flour, followed by salt to taste. The flour helps thicken the salsa a bit and is optional in my opinion.
Add beef to pan and cook until beef is evenly seared. Cover, reduce heat and cook for approximately 5 minutes.
While beef is simmering, blend chiles, onion, garlic, and tomato with 1 cup of water from the chile pot along with oregano, cumin, salt and pepper to taste.
Remove lid from pan, add 1 cup of water, stir and bring to low simmer.
Place a strainer over the pan and pour salsa. Please see video for reference. I use swirl motions with a spoon until all the salsa has passed through the strainer. Discard pulp.
Add cooked nopales to the pan. Season with bouillon or salt to taste. Combine well and cover. Cook on low for 30 minutes to an hour. The longer you cook, the better. The goal is tender meat.
Serve with rice, beans, tortillas or all three.
Enjoy!
Xx Dee
*How to cook nopales: Remove spines and all brown spots/bumps from cactus paddles with a knife. Rinse paddles and dice into small cubes. Cook in boiling water with a dash of salt, approximately 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with warm water to remove any slimy residue.
Video Reference: Chile Colorado
Previously posted:
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