Pot Roast with Vegetables
(Carne de Res con Legumbres)

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
• 1 (3 pound) beef top round roast, tied
• 2 large white onions, cut into 3/8-inch thick slices
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups beef stock or broth
• 4 dried pequin chiles or 1 dried seeded de arbol chile
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 pounds fresh tomatillos, husked, or 2 (13 ounce) cans tomatillos, drained
• 2 large fresh poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, de-veined, and cut into 1/2-inch wide strips
• 2 chayote squash
• 12 small new red potatoes, unpeeled
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Heat lard or oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add beef; cook, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Remove to plate.
3. Add onions and garlic to pan; sauté over medium heat until soft, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Add stock, pequin chiles, thyme and oregano; heat over medium-high heat to boiling.
5. Add tomatillos to pan. If using fresh tomatillos, cook over medium heat until fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
6. Add beef to pan, pushing it down so it is surrounded by liquid.
7. Place 3/4 of poblano chile strips on top of beef. Heat over medium-low heat to simmering; simmer, partially covered, 2 1/2 hours.
8. Pare and seed chayote; cut into 1 x 1 1/2 inch pieces. Add chayote and potatoes to beef; simmer, covered, over medium-low heat until potatoes and beef are fork-tender, 30 to 40 minutes longer.
9. Remove beef, potatoes and chayote to warm serving platter; keep warm, covered.
10. Process 1/2 the cooking sauce in blender at a time until smooth.
11. Return sauce to pan; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 4 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.
12. Stir in cilantro.
13. Garnish beef with remaining poblano chile strips.
14. To serve, cut beef across grain into thin slices. Pass sauce separately.