Puerto Rican Beef Stew (carne Guisada Puertoriquena)

Burned and wasted we must be; and is it not fitter it should be in lighting men to heaven, and in working for God, than in living to the flesh? How little difference is there between the pleasure of a long and of a short life, when they are both at an end! What comfort will it be to you at death, that you lengthened your life by shortening your work? He that worketh much, liveth much. Our life is to be esteemed according to the ends and works of it, and not according to the mere duration... Will it not comfort us more at death, to review a short time faithfully spent, than a long life spent unfaithfully?

Richard Baxter

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Vegetables, Meats, Grains	Puerto Rican		4	Servings

INGREDIENTS

1	T	Vegetable oil
2	lb	Beef top round, cut in 1"
		Chunks
1		Green pepper, seeded
4		Sweet chile peppers
		Seeded
2		Onion, peeled
4		Cloves garlic, peeled
6		Fresh cilantro leaves
		Washed
1	T	Vinegar, or fresh lime
		Juice
1/2	t	Dried oregano
1/2	c	Tomato sauce
2		Bay leaves
1	T	Salt
1/2	lb	Carrot, cut in 1/2"
		Pieces
1		Green peas
1/2	lb	Potatoes, cubed
12		Olives, pimiento stuffed
1	T	Capers
1/2	c	Seeded raisins
		optional
1/2	t	Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

I love Puerto Rican Food!... It's usually simple, yet rich with lots
of cilantro and garlic!!.  Enclosed are examples of 4 dishes that can
be simplified to taste.  I always add mucho mas cilantro, peppers and
garlic with fresh ingredients (I never used canned foods).  I prefer to
also add a pinch of red chili powder just to make it  interesting (not
a traditional ingredient in Puerto Rican food).  In a large heavy
kettle, brown meat in oil.  Add green pepper, sweet chili, onions,
cloves, cilantro,  vinegar (or  lime juice), oregano, tomato sauce, bay
leaves, and salt. Mix and  bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover
and cook for 1 hour.  Add carrots to kettle.  Drain liquid from peas
into kettle and mix  (reserve peas)   Bring rapidly to a boil, reduce
to low, cover and  cook about 1 hr until meat is almost fork-tender..
Add potatoes, olives, capers, raisins, and 1/2 tsp salt, bring  rapidly
to a boil,  reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 1 hour,  or until
meat is fork-tender and  vegetables are done.  Ad reserved peas and
mix.  Taste and adjust seasoning (uncover, and  boil to thicken sauce
to taste).  Tammie K Nakamura <nakamurt@UCSU.COLORADO.EDU>  Recipe By  
: Puerto Rican Cookery   ISBN 0-88289-411-0  From:                    
Date:  File
ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mmdja006.zip

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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients) ---------------------------------------------- Calories: 224 Calories From Fat: 40 Total Fat: 4.5g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 3148.2mg Potassium: 988.6mg Carbohydrates: 43.1g Fiber: 6g Sugar: 20.5g Protein: 6.6g