Entree: Paraguay – Southern Culinary Region – Guiso Popó (Hearty Paraguayan beef and root stew with vegetables and corn)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 1 hr

Total 1 hr 15 min

Ingredients

- 1 1/2 lb (680 g) beef chuck, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, about 8 oz (225 g), chopped
- 2 cloves (6 g) garlic, minced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, about 6 oz (170 g), seeded and chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, about 8 oz (225 g), diced (or 1 cup/240 ml canned diced tomatoes)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin
- 1 tsp (2 g) sweet paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup (240 ml) beef broth
- 8 oz (225 g) cassava (yucca), peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- 2 medium potatoes, about 10 oz (280 g), peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- 1 cup (150 g) fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1 1/2 tsp (8 g) salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat and brown the beef cubes in batches; remove and set aside. In the same pot, reduce heat to medium and sauté the onion until soft, about 5 minutes, add garlic and bell pepper and cook 1–2 minutes, then stir in tomato paste, diced tomatoes, cumin, paprika and bay leaf.
2. Return the browned beef to the pot, add beef broth, cassava, potatoes and corn; bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat until beef and roots are tender, about 50–60 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper, remove bay leaf, sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.