Carbonada CaryJor - CaryJor Stew - An Argentine-Influenced Creation

 After making and enjoying the wonderful Argentine humita three times, I decided I'd like to create a beef stew version. So, I did an Internet search for Argentine beef stews and came up with three ingredients to add to the humita - beef, Malbec wine, and dried apricots. The results were great.

I decided to name the dish Carbonada CaryJor. A carbonada is a beef stew with vegetables. CaryJor honors my Buenos Aires friends, Caroline & Jorge, who made my trip to Buenos Aires an extraordinary set of unforgettable experiences.

As is the case with all such stews, it's best to make it a day in advance so that it will be much more flavorful. This recipe will produce four servings.

If you want to make a spicier version, you can add a bit of chili pepper powder - or you can give your guests the option of adding it in to their serving.

For the beef, I chose to use imported Argentine tritip beef ("colita de cuadril" in Spanish) from my local Fresh Market supermarket, which has an Argentine beef section. However, that option can be a bit expensive because you have to buy a large cut of meat. I cut the leftover part into a number of steaks and froze them.

As I mentioned in my posting about humita, this recipe requires a bit of preparation, but the cooking is fairly straightforward.

These are the types of recipes I only make when I'm having guests, and I want to offer them something unique.

Ingredients

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 3/4 large onion- finely chopped

-3/4 lb of beef chunks (I used a tritip cut – “colita de cuadril” in Spanish, because that was the most suitable imported Argentine beef I could find.)

- 1 piece of spring onion – finely chopped

- 1/2 sweet pepper – chopped

- 4 dried apricots – pitted & chopped

- one 15 oz. can sweet corn. (The original humita recipe calls for grated corn on the cob.)

- 1/2 lb. grated butternut squash (I used the food processor to grate)

- 1/2 diced roma tomato

- 1 tbsp garlic (I used the refrigerated minced garlic)

- 3/4 tsp paprika (you can add more or less depending on your taste buds)

- 1/2 tsp cumin

- the corn juice from the can

- ½ cup Malbec

- salt and pepper

 Cooking

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan.

2. Cook the beef until browned – 3 min (or less) per side.

3. Add the chopped white onion, spring onion, sweet pepper, garlic, and apricots

3. While the onions and pepper are cooking, add a good pinch of salt and continue to mix until it is cooked.

3. Add the roma tomato, cumin & paprika. You can start by adding less spice, and once the humita is cooking, taste and add more.

4. When well mixed, add the corn and mix well. Add the corn water and wine, and continue to stir so the corn does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

5. Boil the stew for 3 minutes continuously stirring. If the humita is becoming too dry at any time, add water as needed. (The mixture is cooked for 10 minutes if corn on the cob is used.)

6. When the mixture has cooked for 3 minutes, add the grated butternut squash and mix well.

7. Continue to stir, reduce the heat and cook for a further 20 minutes.

Humita - A Savory Butternut Squash & Corn Dish

 When I was in Argentina not long ago, I discovered humita, a delightful vegetable dish from northern Argentina. There are variants of this dish in other South American countries. You can read more about humita on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humita

 I tried it as part of a dinner I had at a spectacular tango performance at El Querandí, recommended by my friend Jorge. (If you're ever in Buenos Aires and want to experience a great traditional tango show, El  Querandí is the place to go: https://querandi.com.ar/en/ )

I loved the humita so much that I decided I had to try making it. I did, and was very pleased with the results. It does take a bit of chopping, but the actual cooking is straightforward and simple. (The "h" in "humita" is silent.)

I found many humita recipes on-line. I started with this one, and modified it in a number of ways consistent with other humita recipes. I found it at: https://theargentinekitchen.co.uk/2021/01/28/humita/. (Notice that it comes from a British site named, "The Argentine Kitchen."

One important change to the original recipe is using canned sweet corn instead of corn grated off the cob. I left out the spicy chili pepper and the optional mozzarella balls. I also discovered I needed far less liquid than the original recipe called for.

 This recipe makes 6-8 servings. It’s best made a day in advance. The flavor is much richer on the second day.

 Ingredients

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1 1/2 onions- finely chopped

- 2 pieces of spring onion – finely chopped

- 1  sweet red pepper – chopped

- two 15 oz. cans sweet corn. (The original recipe calls for grated corn on the cob, then soaking the husks in water. The water is added when cooking. I used the corn juice from the can instead.)

- the corn juice from the canned corn

- 1 lb. grated butternut squash (I used the food processor)

- 1 diced roma tomato

- 1 tbsp garlic (I use the bottled, crushed garlic)

- 1 1/2 tsp paprika (you can add more or less depending on your taste)

- 1 tsp cumin

- salt and pepper

 Cooking

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Then add the chopped white onion, spring onion, garlic, & red pepper.

2. While the onions and red peppers are cooking, add a good pinch of salt and continue to mix until it is cooked – about 6 minutes.

3. Add the roma tomato, cumin & paprika. You can start by adding less spice, and add more if desired.

4. When well mixed, add all the corn and mix well.

5. Add roughly 4 oz. of the corn water and continue to stir so the corn does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

6. Cook the humita for 3 minutes continuously stirring. If the humita is becoming too dry at any time, add more corn water as needed. (If corn on the cob is used, cook the mixture for 10 minutes.)

7. When the humita has boiled for 3 minutes, add the grated butternut squash and mix well.

8. Continue to stir, reduce the heat and cook for a further 20 minutes until the humita is creamy and both butternut squash and corn are cooked. If water is still visible, cook until the water evaporates.

Brunswick Stew - Fantastic

I recently ended up preparing the best stew I’ve ever had; and I've had many over the years. I was hosting family and dear German friends for a get-together. As a main course, I wanted an American dish that would be a bit different and that I could prepare a day in advance. I like stew-type dishes not only because they can be prepared in advance, but because they often taste better on the second or third day. This fit the model perfectly.

In my search for possibilities, I ran across a Brunswick stew recipe with great reviews at: https://www.smalltownwoman.com/brunswick-stew/#recipe

Two American cities claim credit for the stew – Brunswick, VA & Brunswick, GA. Some claim it originated in Braunschweig, Germany. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunswick_stew.

The meat used in original versions was rabbit and/or squirrel. Mine would not be an original version.

For the most part, I followed the version I found, but I did make a few changes. The recipe I found was for six servings. I wanted nine. So, I multiplied the original contents by 1.5 and made a few changes. Below, you will find my version with the changes from the original contents underlined. The recipe is very flexible.

The meal included my home-made cornbread, salad, store-bought key lime pie, and cookies.

The recipe provided enough for six generous servings for the six of us, plus large-portion dinners for me for the following two evenings. It got better each day. With every spoonful, I would say to myself, “I love it!”

While cooking is very straight forward, I would only prepare it when guests are involved – because of the preparation time that brining and roasting the chicken involved.

One caveat – lima beans can cause gas.

Brunswick Stew

Original Ingredients Modified for 9 servings

2 1/4 tablespoons canola oil

1 1/2 large onions finely chopped

Potatoes – (I used four Melissa’s baby Dutch yellow potatoes, each cut into eight pieces (added to original recipe - from Aldi's.)

3 cloves garlic minced (I used 3 Tbsp bottled minced garlic.)

3 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

3  tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 can 14.5-ounce fire roasted diced tomatoes

2 1/4 cups frozen corn (I used a 15 oz. can of Green Giant whole kernel sweet corn.)

2 1/4 cups frozen lima beans

1 1/4 cup barbecue sauce plus more for drizzling (I used Kinder’s mild BBQ sauce)

3  tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3 3/4 cups pulled smoked pork (You can use leftover pulled pork. I used a 12-oz. container of Curly’s cooked sauceless, hickory-smoked, seasoned pulled pork.)

2 1/4 cups cooked diced chicken breast or chicken thighs smoked or roasted. (You can use leftover cooked chicken. I brined and then roasted a chicken breast in my Ninja XL Pro Air Fryer.)

The recipe also called for the following hot spices. However, instead of cooking with them, I put them on the table for guests to add if they wished

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1-2 pinches of cayenne pepper

2 1/4 teaspoons hot sauce

Instructions

     Heat oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot.  Add the onion and potatoes; and cook until tender - 5-6 minutes.

     Reduce heat and add the minced garlic cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly.

     In a small bowl stir the tomato paste with 1/4 cup of chicken broth then pour it into the pot.  Add the remaining chicken broth, diced tomatoes, frozen corn, lima beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, ground black pepper, crushed red pepper, and cayenne pepper to the pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a low boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

     Add the smoked pork and cooked chicken and let it simmer for about 5 more minutes.  If desired season the stew with salt and more pepper to taste.

     Spoon into bowls and drizzle with just a little bit more barbecue sauce.

 Below are the Author’s Notes from the author of the original recipe

     “This is my go-to recipe for leftover smoked pork and roasted chicken.  You can use all of one or the other but I think it tastes better with both. You can also use different percentages of each.  If you are a hunter or live off the land, try squirrel, rabbit, or other game meat.  Ground beef and ground pork or other less expensive options.

    Other vegetables you might add include potatoes, butter beans, celery, and okra

    The stew is a hearty meal in itself.  However, if I am expecting company or have extended family over for dinner I like to serve it with coleslaw, Cornbread, and Southern Fried Apples.

    I use a Kansas City-style BBQ sauce which is a little thinner, light on sugar with a little bit of kick. This is just the way I like it. I think it is a good match for the stew.

    After spooning the stew into bowls drizzle with just a little bit of extra barbecue sauce.  It makes a great presentation and a little bit of added flavor.

    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.”