Haitian Beef and Vegetable Stew
Haitian Beef and Vegetable stew is classic comfort food. The flavors are simple, delicious, and a great way to use leftover meat.
Haitian beef stew is a hearty and flavorful dish perfect for any day during the week. This stew is made with beef, string beans, carrots, and a variety of spices, and it is simmered until the beef is tender and the vegetables are soft. Haitian beef stew is traditionally served with rice and beans but can also be served with plantains or other starchy vegetables.
Beef and Vegetable Stew is classic comfort food. The flavors are simple, delicious, and a great way to use leftover meat.
The best Beef and Vegetable Stew recipe is made with fresh ingredients. This recipe is one of the best comfort foods for all seasons and is so easy to make that you’ll want to try it! It is one of the many stew recipes usually prepared in a Haitian household. This particular one is also called Ragout de Viande (Toufe).
The vegetables for the beef and vegetable stew
Making a vegetable stew requires some experience. The experience comes from learning the type of vegetables to use and how to prepare them. In this recipe, we use carrots and string beans. Carrots are a great vitamin A and beta-carotene source and are very popular in soups and stews.
Green beans are high in vitamin K and contain decent calcium. Always pick vegetables that are healthy and go well with beef, a type of meat naturally rich in protein.
The vegetables are fresh; you need a few knives to create the perfect cuts for your recipe. For this recipe, you will use a chef’s knife and a utility knife to cut and slice the green beans. A vegetable peeler is also helpful for removing the carrot skin.
- Chef’s knife: A chef’s knife is a versatile knife that can be used for various tasks, including chopping, slicing, and dicing. It is the most important knife in any cook’s arsenal.
- Utility knife: A utility knife is a smaller knife that is perfect for tasks such as cutting vegetables and fruits. It is also a good choice for slicing meat and cheese.
- Vegetable peeler: A vegetable peeler is a small, handheld tool that is used to remove the skin from fruits and vegetables. It is a great way to get a smooth, even finish on your vegetables.
Here are some tips for cutting vegetables:
- Use a sharp knife. A sharp knife will make cutting vegetables much easier and safer.
- Cut vegetables on a cutting board. A cutting board will protect your countertops and provide a stable surface to work on.
- Use the right knife for the job. A chef’s knife is a good choice for most tasks, but a utility knife or vegetable peeler may be more appropriate for some jobs.
- Cut vegetables in a consistent size. This will help ensure that they cook evenly.
You can easily cut vegetables like a pro with a few sharp knives and a little practice. So get chopping and get cooking!
How to make the Beef and Vegetable Stew
Many beef and vegetable stew recipes exist, but this is my favorite. It contains two of my favorite vegetables, carrots and string beans.
The ingredients needed to make the beef and vegetable stew
- Beef (brisket or shank) – excellent for making stews.
- Carrots are a popular vegetable that needs no introduction and is cooked and raw.
- Onions: flavor and aroma. A great source of earthy flavors for soup.
- Garlic: seasoning, tons of flavor, and health benefits
- Green String Beans: easy to cook, requires very little seasoning. Perfect in stews and grains dishes.
- Christophene or Chayote: a classic vegetable consumed a lot in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia.
- Tomatoes: fresh and not the can stuff for that succulent dish.
- Oil: the best oil to use is olive oil, but you can use grapeseed oil or sunflower oil. If you choose to use coconut oil, you may end up with a slice taste of coconut oil, depending on the brand.
- Tomato Paste is not an ingredient I use often, but sometimes you need color, and tomato paste does it for me.
- Mustard: a hint of acid with a peppery taste, perfect for stews.
- Thyme: fresh, earthy, minty with a hint of citrus – a must for flavoring.
- Parsley: aromatic and fresh taste.
- Beef Broth: you can use store-bought, but I would recommend using a low-sodium broth or making your own.
- Salt and pepper: for seasoning.
How to make the beef and vegetable stew
Prepare the meat by cleaning it your preferred way and cutting it into cubes. Saute the beef cubes first, with seasoning. The vegetables are slightly cooked separately with seasoning. And all the ingredients are married into a flavorful beef broth to create the best comfort meal to enjoy with a side of rice, polenta, or boiled vegetables such as plantains, yucca, or yams.
Notes and tips for beef and vegetable stew
- Use any fresh vegetables to make this stew.
- You can substitute frozen and thawed string beans, but the vegetables’ cooking time will be shorter.
- Cut all the ingredients about the same size so they can all cook at the same time.
- The taste will not be the same if you use chicken broth instead of beef broth.
- You can also use vegetable broth but adjust the seasoning properly.
- You can use butter to make the sauce a bit smoother to taste – that’s a bit fattening.
- If you like seasoning salts like Maggie cubes, you can also use that- very common in the Caribbean, Latin, and African cuisines.
- Add lemon juice to the stew to balance out all the flavors.
Haitian Beef and Vegetable Stew
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef brisket or shanks, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cloves of garlic crushed
- 2 – 3 sprigs of thyme
- 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 4 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 2 medium onions sliced
- ¼ lb green string beans both ends removed and cut in half
- 2 christophenes or chayote peeled and sliced
- 4 cups beef broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute the meat until golden. Add crushed garlic, thyme, half of the chopped parsley, and mustard. Add salt and pepper. When the meat is golden brown, remove it from heat and set aside.
- Add the tomato paste and more oil if necessary. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes, until all mixed.
- Add the meat to the vegetables and the beef broth. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Lower the heat, cover, and cook for about an hour or until the meat is thoroughly cooked. Cook for a little longer if you need to reduce the sauce.
- Serve in a deep bowl and garnish with parsley. Serve with boiled potatoes or cooked grains.
Notes
- Place the beans in a colander or bowl and rinse thoroughly.
- Cut both ends of the beans and cut them in half or thirds if there are too long. Discard the ends.
- After the ends, you can either slice the beans open in the middle to create a kind of French-style cut green beans, or you can just cut them in half while whole.
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.
