Mexican Beef Stew

As you know, if you read my blog, I love Mexican food. Well, it's been rainy cool here and I was in the mood for a bowl of stew but with a Mexican flair. I cut up some stew meat and onions then cooked them for a few minutes. I mixed them together with broth, tomatoes, green chiles, garlic and seasonings. I cooked it in the oven, low and slow, for 4 hours. I then added black beans and corn and continued to cook for about 30 minutes. I topped them with crunchy tortilla strips and cotija cheese. I served it with cornbread and a salad. It was a great stew with a ton of flavor and a bit of spice. My husband and I really loved it while my kids thought it was pretty good too. My daughter told me it was almost her favorite but that regular stew is her very favorite.

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb of round roast, diced into chunks
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1 sweet yellow onion, cut into large chunks
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 7 oz can of whole green chiles, diced
• 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 6 cups of beef broth
• 1 bay leaf (not pictured below)
• 1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup of frozen corn, thawed
• Cilantro, chopped (divided)
• 3-4 corn tortillas (topping)
• Cotija cheese (topping)

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Heat olive oil in a Dutch Oven over medium heat. Once it's hot add the diced beef and seasonings then brown for 2 minutes; add the onion, garlic, green chile and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beef broth and bay leaf then stir and cover with a lid. Place in the oven for 4-5 hours. Remove from the oven and place on the stove top over medium heat; add the beans, cilantro (reserving a bit for garnish) and corn. If you want it thicker, add a slurry of cornstarch and beef stock. Add to the stew when boiling and it will thicken right up.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take a few corn tortillas and spray them with olive oil cooking spray on both side. Cut into small strips and place on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper if you like. Bake until golden brown on both sides, about 5-7 minutes.

Top the soup with the crispy tortilla strips, a little cotija cheese and cilantro. Enjoy.

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