Green Papaya and Beef Stew
A treasure of the Caribbean, infused with wonderful flavors from slow cooking, this Green Papaya and Beef stew is so delicious and tender that it just melts in your mouth.
What is Beef Stew?
The simplest definition of Beef Stew is comfort food. Beef stew is generally pieces of cut-up beef slow-cooked in a well-seasoned broth. Usually, vegetables are present. In the Caribbean, dumplings and leafy vegetables are traditionally part of the stew.
A few beef bones might be added to the mixture for flavor enhancement. But versatility, the right of vegetables, provisions (root vegetables), spices, and herbs will make the most delicious comfort food.
A reminder about stew
A stew dish is also referred to as legume or consomme in the Caribbean. The ingredients are the same; the only difference may be the liquid. In Western and European cooking, wine is not uncommon to be found in stews. The wine must be drinkable and not too dry, preferably.
The Caribbean way of making beef stew
The process is simple. The meat is cleaned, seasoned for a couple of hours or overnight, and then cooked halfway cooked. Once the meat is halfway cooked, vegetables are added and slow-cooked until all the ingredients are fully cooked.
There is no need to roll the meat in flour and pan-fry the pieces. This does not apply to this recipe.
Adding fruits to beef stew
As the title implies, papaya is part of the stew. Papaya is a fruit mainly found in the Caribbean and Latin America. This lovely fruit is very versatile.
Papaya Papaya
For this particular recipe, we are using green papaya. Why? Because green papayas are not sweet.
How to make Green Papaya and Beef Stew.
Here’s a quick reference of how to make the beef stew with papaya fruit.
But first, always get all your ingredients ready before cooking. It saves a lot of time!
- Clean the meat. Rinse, pat dry and set aside.
- Mix beef pieces with seasoning
- Cook the meat. Add vegetables
- Cook at low heat – simmering
- Enjoy your beef stew with white rice, creamy polenta or boiled provisions (plantains, potatoes, yam)
This meal does not take 30 minutes, but it is a labor of love if you follow the instructions. You can also use a slow cooker but be sure to add the papaya in the last hour of cooking. The beef will be tender and super delicious.
Green Papaya and Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef stew meat or beef chuck cut into 1″ pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 2 tablespoon Noubess Steak Seasoning Salt-Free
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 medium red onion sliced
- 1 diced red bell pepper
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ green almost orange papaya (about 1 pound or lespeeled and diced
Instructions
- Clean your meat with lemon or vinegar. Rinse with water and pat dry. Place in a bowl.
- Add olive oil, salt, steak seasoning, garlic, parsley, and lemon juice. Let marinate for a couple of hours or overnight.
- In a large, Dutch oven, add beef with marinade. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once it starts to boil, lower heat and continue to cook.
- When the meat is halfway cooked, add onion, bell pepper, tomato paste, and tomatoes. Stir to mix. Continue to cook for 5 minutes.
- Add papaya pieces and bay leaves, stir to mix, cover and let cook until beef pieces are fully cooked on low heat stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning is necessary and continue to cook for another 3 – 4 minutes. Remove from heat and serve with a side of grains, pasta or root vegetables.
Notes
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
