West Indian Beef Stew
Jalapenos are the most popular chile peppers in the US. This is probably due to the availability and versatility of the chile. Jalapenos have a balanced combination of flavor and heat.
The demand for these have caused breeders to develop a broad range of varieties. You can now get jalapenos with various heat level and sizes. These can be used in salsas, stuffed, or eaten straight with cheeseburgers (my personal favorite).
Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 pounds beef, cubed
5 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
3 medium jalapenos, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. ginger
1 can tomato paste
1 Tbsp. molasses
1 can beef broth
1/4 cup olives, sliced
1 can tomatoes, chopped
juice of 1 lime
3 Tbsp. rum
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup Macadamia nuts, chopped
Instructions:
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat a medium size pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. Coat the beef in the spiced flour mixture and saute until the pieces are well browned. Add the onion and saute an additional 3 minutes. Now add the bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic and ginger and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, molasses and broth and bring to a boil.
Simmer the mixture for 30 minutes, then add the olives and tomatoes. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes, then add the lime juice and rum. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Ladle into individual bowls and sprinkle with cilantro and nuts.
Recipe adapted from “Cold-Weather Cooking” by Sarah Leah Chase.