Carne de Res en Chile Colorado

This is a traditional preparation of beef in Mexico. It is very flavorful... but surprisingly it is not terribly spicy. The dried chilies have a rich flavor that match their rich color but at least the variety I use are low on the Scoville scale.

At our local grocery there are stacks of dried chilies in the produce department... but if you are not that lucky you might find them in the spice isle or the department specializing in Mexican food. I know that Fiesta brand sells bagged chilies... The New Mexico or the Chili Cascavel would probably be your best bet. I always find that it is fun to experiment with new ingredients... You can always make the sauce ahead of time and if it isn't to your liking try another variety of chili.

Put 1-2 lbs of lean stewing beef in a pan and barely cover with water. Sprinkle with salt and bring to a boil. Cook this on low heat for about 2 hours until the beef is cooked through and tender. The key is keeping the heat low... and make sure you add the salt.

Core and seed chilies and put in a sauce pan with about a cup of water. Simmer for about 10 minutes (or if you are like me you'll forget about them until the water is all gone and it starts to burn....then you'll try your luck anyway and be pleasantly surprised by howwell the sauce comes out).

Place chilies and some water (use the cooking water from the chilies that is left) and add 1/2 t. cumin, a handful of fresh oregano (or1/2 t. dried), 3 cloves garlic and blend until smooth. Start out with a 1/2 of the cooking water and add it until it is a thin gravy-like paste.

Heat oil in a skillet and add the blended sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add the meat and heat through coating the meat with the sauce.

Serve in warm tortillas with beans... and in this case Jicama-orange salad.

Buen Provecho!