Cuete mechado – larded beef braised in chipotle tomato sauce

Ingredients for 4 portions

• 1 kgEye of round, in one piece
• 100 gBacon, in strips
• 100 gHam, in strips
• 3 clovesGarlic, in slivers
• to tasteSalt
• to tasteBlack pepper
• 2 tbspRapeseed oil
• 6Tomatoes
• 3Chipotle peppers in adobo
• ½Yellow onion
• 2 clovesGarlic, for the sauce
• ≈ 750 mlWater
• 1 cubeBeef stock
• 2Bay leaves
• 3 mlThyme, dried
• 800 gPotato, in large chunks

Method

1. With a thin, sharp knife, make about 12 deep cuts along the length of the beef and push in the strips of bacon and ham and the garlic slivers, using the handle of a wooden spoon. Season the outside with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the beef on all sides, about 10 minutes.
3. Blend the tomatoes with the chipotles, the onion, the garlic for the sauce and a little of the water until smooth.
4. Pour the sauce over the beef and add the rest of the water, the stock cube, the bay leaves and the thyme. Bring to the boil.
5. Cover, lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours, until the beef is very tender, turning it every half hour. (About 50 minutes in a pressure cooker.)
6. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks.
7. Add the potatoes and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, until tender and the sauce has thickened. Season with salt.
8. Lift out the beef, let it rest for 5 minutes and cut it into 1 cm slices.
9. Serve the slices with the potatoes and plenty of sauce.

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