A Lima-style stew with a deeply green sauce and beef tender enough to yield to a spoon. Culantro, chicha de jora, and Peruvian chiles build a rich braising base around buttery yellow potatoes and vegetables that still keep a little bite. When it lands on the table like this, a second helping starts to feel like a very sensible decision.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Blend the culantro, seeded and deveined ají amarillo, half of the chicha de jora, and a small portion of the water for 45 to 60 seconds, until the mixture is vivid green and nearly smooth. Set it aside while you prepare the beef.
Cut the beef into large chunks and season it with two fifths of the salt, all the black pepper, and the cumin. Heat a little more than half of the oil in a large pot and sear the beef in batches for 8 to 10 minutes, giving it enough room to develop a deep brown crust on several sides instead of steaming in its own juices. Remove the beef and leave the browned fond in the pot.
Reduce to medium heat and add the remaining oil. Cook the finely chopped onion with the garlic and another portion of the salt for 6 to 8 minutes, until very soft and beginning to color around the edges. Stir in the ají mirasol paste and cook for 2 minutes; then add the culantro mixture and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring until it looks darker, glossy, and no longer smells raw or grassy.
Pour in the remaining chicha de jora and scrape up the browned fond; boil for 2 minutes, until the sharp alcoholic aroma softens. Return the beef, add the remaining water, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 70 to 75 minutes, checking occasionally that there is still enough sauce, until the beef is tender enough for the edge of a spoon to break into it with little pressure.
Add the yellow potatoes in large pieces, the carrots in thick slices, and the remaining salt. Cover and cook for 13 minutes, then add the peas and continue for another 5 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and just beginning to release starch into the sauce, the carrots yield when bitten, and the peas remain green. Turn off the heat and rest covered for 5 minutes. If the beef breaks apart easily and the sauce coats a spoon without becoming pasty, it is ready. Serve it while everyone still has a chance to claim extra sauce! 🥘
