BISTEK RANCHERO: From humble origins comes a dish full of flavor!

BISTEK RANCHERO: From humble beginnings this dish shows us there's no need to be "gourmet" when it comes to major flavor. Usually seen in the "rancherias" or in Northern provinces, but beloved by everyone when it comes to flavorful beef cut into small pieces to which you add almost as much as your imagination lets you, but always based on your personal tastes, comes this comforting dish.

A dish most people associate with their Mom, Abuela or other family member that would make it for them, there are so many variations that none is better then the last. I've seen it made with Arrechera, Skirt Steak, Paloma, Pulpa Negra, Aguayon, Top Sirloin down to the very cheapest cuts. All you need is to cook the meat longer with the sauce so it becomes tender, so this is a very democratic dish. In the US I've seen it made with more expensive ingredients, at a higher price point of course, but I have to admit that some of the versions I've had in small towns, under humble conditions have been among the best, served with frijoles, some rice and fresh made tortillas YUM!

I've got the ingredients in my fridge from my last foray to the market so it seemed like a good choice without having to go anywhere. Have some sirloin, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, oregano, red bell pepper, garlic, cilantro and some Xcatic and Poblano Peppers I thought I'd char and throw in, I'll make a pan sauce with the meat's juices which should give me the flavor I'm looking for, a hint of spice from the Xcatic Chile and the lovely green flavor of the Poblanos, plus the potatoes will soak up some of the sauce to make them creamy and good. I've got some great Xcatic Rice too (the recipe is already on this blog) and frijoles are always on hand. Sounds like a plan....

I've gone ahead and charred the chiles in advance and put them into a plastic bag to steam so I can peel them, but I still want some of the charred bits in the dish, you know? I try to infuse a dish with as many layers of flavor as possible to have the very best result possible, it doesn't matter if it's supposed to be a humble dish- to me there are no inferior dishes- it's what you make of them that matters. Always your best effort!

Here are the ingredients I used:
1/3 cup Pork Lard
1/2 K Top Sirloin (about 1 1/4 lbs of meat), cut in small cubes
1 medium onion, cut in cubes
6 garlic cloves, smashed or pressed
Black Pepper, freshly ground
Salt, to taste
2 tsp Powdered Chicken Stock (instead of salt)
2 medium carrots, sliced into thin disks
2 Tbl Spanish Red Pepper (not hot) , you could use Paprika
2 tsp Thyme, either fresh or dried
1/2 cup Tomato Sauce
1 cup water
2 tsp Oregano, either fresh or dried
1/2 Large Red Bell Pepper, cut in strips
1 large Poblano Pepper, previously charred, deveined and deseeded, in strips
4 Xcatic Peppers, charred, deveined and deseeded
2 medium potatoes, cut in squares (we have gold potatoes here)

First thing I did was char the chiles over my stove's gas flame until they were quite black. Placed in plastic bag to sweat and cool. Once cool to the touch, removed the skin, sliced them open to remove seeds and veins and cut the Poblano Peppers into thin strips but left the Xcatic Peppers alone in case anyone wanted them removed since they tend to be a little spicier.

In a heavy pan, put the lard to melt and pan to heat up over med-high heat. Added the meat and onions plus black pepper to sear for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and then. After, I added the carrots since they are the hardest ingredient, lowered the flame to medium-low and partially covered the pot and left it cooking for about 15 minutes. After that time I added the garlic, Spanish Red Pepper, Thyme, Tomato Sauce, Water, Oregano, Red Bell Pepper, Poblano and Xcatic Peppers and added some the powdered chicken stock, but won't salt until after the dish is done and I can evaluate if it needs any. Give it a good stir and let it cook about 15 minutes, check it to see if the meat is tender to the bite, if it is then add the potatoes, if it isn't yet, let it cook an additional 15 minutes and keep checking it until it begins to give, then add the potatoes and let them cook 10-15 minutes.

It might seem as a lot of steps but I haven't gotten my bomb yet (pressure cooker) and once I do get it my cooking time will be cut by more than half making this a quick dish, but for now it's the old fashioned way and we take it a little at a time. If you have a "cazuela" by all means use it for this.

I also have to say that we've all noticed that the quality to meat, fruit and vegetables has improved from what we used to get in the US, even the Organic types. The fruit is nothing short of amazing with so much sweetness and flavor we remembered why we eat so much of it here. Vegetables are great, zucchinis, potatoes, tomatoes, herbs, everything takes us by surprise when we cook, we're delighted! For Chefs, this is an amazing thing!!!

Well, now you have a great offering for your family, so from our family to yours, Enjoy! Provecho!!
Pair with Frijoles Refritos, Arroz Mexicano, Tortillas y una Salcita.... WOW!