Caldo de res
Caldo de res (mexican beef stew) is one of my favorite soups. Not only is it healing with all its goodness but it brings me back to my childhood. So whenever anyone in the house is sick, it's my go to feel good recipe. Recipes for this soup will vary from family to family. So don't come for me and tell me it's wrong. The recipe here is one I've modified from mi mama to fit my little clan. I want to emphasize it's a super versatile recipe and you can add almost any veggies you like, especially if there are in season. In order to call it a legit caldo de res though, it's gotta have a squash or zucchini of some kind, cabbage, and corn. Oh and cilantro at the end.I already know youre gonna ask "can this be made faster in an instant pot pressure cooker?". Probably, yea. I have tried in the past and to be honest, its just not the same and also it does not make enough to feed my family and have leftovers so I stick to the long hours on the stove. Trust me, if you can swing it, it's worth it. You are welcome to play around with it and let me know if it works for you!*This is boneless recipe I've been working on perfecting cus I'm avoiding high histamine foods. Bone broth, as good as it can be for some people with its collagen, is not good for me right now so I am avoiding bone broth and instead making meat broth. But if you wanna add extra nutrients add in oxtail bones or even bone marrow bones from the butcher at the beginning when you start to cook the meat.Caldo de Res
not your moms beef stew. measurements are all approximate cus I dont measure anything and do things until my ancestors whisper to stop. I've got lots of very specific anecdotes that I hope you appreciate as we go thru this together.
Equipment
- 6qt stock pot or larger depending on how much soup you want to make
- ladle
Ingredients
- ingredients for the broth:
- 3lb beef chuck roast cut up into 3" chunks - (more or less depending on how much you wanna make)
- 1 sweet onion - halved
- 1 garlic bulb - halved
- 3 dry bay leaves
- 2 carrots - halved
- 3 celery - halved
- 10 peppercorns
- 2 tbsp salt - we will probably add more as we taste test btw
- ingredients for later after the broth is ready: (prepare separately)
- 1 zucchini of choice - diced into bite sized pieces - bonus points if its the light green Mexican squash
- 1 head of cabbage - I usually use 3/4 of it, cut up into 2" chunks
- 1 can of garbanzo beans - drained and rinsed
- 2 corn on the cobs cut up into 3" sections - you can buy pre cut/prepped in the freezer aisle of the store
- 3 celery stalks - diced into bite sized pieces
- 3 carrots - diced into bite sized pieces
- 1 cilantro bunch
- key limes
Instructions
- add first 8 ingredients into stock pot and fill with water, making sure everything is covered. If you're using beef bones also add them here.
- bring to a boil and then drop to a simmer
- skim any film or "scum" that rises to the very top of the water. its just stuff from the beat and bones.
- simmer for 4 hours, stirring occasionally to make sure everyone is having a good time
- while the broth is brothing, at some point prep your veg for the second round and have them on standby ready to go
- after 4 hours the meat should be tender and easily shreddable, check that. if doesn't shred easy simmer for another 30 minutes.
- carefully remove the meat from the pot with tongs and place into a heat safe dish with a lid. I like to remove the meat cus it makes it easier to cook everything else and then serving is easier
- carefully remove all the big veg. they have done their job and infused their flavor and nutrients into the broth. compost, save, or whatever you wanna do with it
- you should now have a meat broth with nothing in it
- I like to take a fine mesh sieve and grab any loose bits that might be floating around in there still. if you dont mind floaters, don't worry about this step
- now add the hearty veggies. the stuff that takes the longest to cook out of your pile of freshly prepared bite sized things:
- carrots, celery, corn, garbanzo beans (and anything else you're adding that takes the longest)
- simmer hearty veggies for 10 minutes then add in soft veggies - cabbage, zucchini, green beans, etc
- with 5 minutes left add in a heaping handful of cilantro. I dont chop mine up, I like to leave it whole so we can fish it out. I just want the flavor not the greens to eat
- I like my cabbage to have a little al dente bite to it so I watch that carefully and thats usually when the soup is done for me
- taste for salt. if its bland, add more. like a lot more
- turn off the flame
- you should have a pot of soup full of a TON of veggies and yummy broth
- to serve, ladle your veggies and broth into your favorite bowl, then grab some shredded beef chunks and add to the top
- squeeze some lime on top and youre ready to enjoy Caldo de res
details
beef chuck chunks should look sorta like this. I like them closer to 3 inch pieces.
Your cabbage chunks should look like this for the best bite
when I say cut your garlic in half and toss in, this is how it should look
yes, including the “paper skin”
If you decide to add potatoes to this dish, use russet potatoes, but know it can change the texture of the broth from thin to slightly thick & cloudy. I prefer it without potato cus it's a texture thing for me. However it's a great way to stretch some pantry veggies and add more nutrients. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you decide to freeze any for the future, leave the cabbage out of that bit cus it won't defrost/reheat well. Instead freeze strained broth and add fresh round of future veggies. Removing the meat and having it available to serve separately allows you to customize the meat portion annnnnd any leftover meat can be repurposed for another meal later in the week. I suggest flautas or machaca breakfast.Anyone can make & enjoy this recipe. If you do happen to be Mexican, I promise it will impress your mom.There is probably some typos and I might have missed a step so please let me know! I hurried up and wrote this up cus there were many requests for it.k, bye.
