Locro de Carne y Panza (beef, tripe and mashed potatoes stew)

Locro is a hearty thick stew popular along the Andes mountain range in South America. This variation of locro is traditional from Arequipa, in the Southern region of Peru.

Ingredients:

• 1 Kg. of beef (approximately 2 lbs.) cut in regular size pieces (5 cm. or 2 inch cubes)
• 1/2 Kg. of cleaned tripe cut in 5 cm. squares
• 1 daikon cut in pieces
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 leek stalk cut in pieces
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 3 cups of water
• 1 regular size onion finely diced
• 2 tablespoons of aji panca paste (Peruvian red chili paste or you could replace it with 1 tablespoon of ground paprika)
• 1 Kg. of potatoes, peeled and cut in cubes
• 2 tablespoons of garlic paste
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• Salt

Preparation:

Put the water in a pot, add two teaspoons of salt, the daikon, celery, leek, cilantro, beef and tripe. Cook on medium-high until the meat and tripe are tender. Strain the broth and reserve.

In another pot heat the oil and fry the onion until translucent. Add the garlic, aji panca, black pepper, cumin and one teaspoon of salt. Cook for two minutes, stirring and mixing all the ingredients well. Add the broth and potatoes. Set heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender. With a potato masher, gently press down the potatoes until they slightly mash. Add the beef and tripe, add more salt if needed, and mix well. If the mix is too thick add a little bit of hot broth.

Serve with white rice and sprinkle it with chopped cilantro.

Anticuchos (beef heart skewers)

Ingredients:

• 1 Kg of beef heart (it could be replaced with some tender meat, fish or even squid)
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon of garlic paste
• 3/4 cup of red vinegar
• 1/2 cup of aji panca paste (Peruvian red chili paste or it could be replaced with 2 tablespoons of ground paprika and 2 tablespoons of water)
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• Salt
• 8 regular-small size potatoes, boiled and peeled
• 10-inch skewers

Preparation:

Thinly sliced the beef heart and cut it into squares of about 5 cm. long (approximately 2 inches). Place the pieces of beef heart in a tray or bowl.

In a small bowl, blend the vinegar, black pepper, cumin, salt, garlic and aji panca until you get a soft paste. Pour the paste over the heart pieces and mix well. Cover and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Thread the beef heart onto the skewers. Stick three or four pieces of heart in each skewer, so that the meat lays flat. Save the rest of the marinade in a cup or small bowl and add the oil to it, use this for basting the anticuchos on the grill. Place the skewers on a hot grill rack coated with cooking spray, use a charcoal grill for best results. Grill each side for approximately 2 minutes, do not overcook.

Serve hot, with slices of boiled potatoes and hot sauce. You can also add pieces of boiled corn when serving. 

Sudado de Carne (beef stew)

This variant of the sudado de carne is typical from Arequipa, in the South of Peru.

Ingredients:

• 1 Kg of beef, a tender cut is recommended (approximately 2 lbs.)
• 2 regular size onions in small dices
• 1 1/2 cup of peeled diced tomato
• 4 cups of dark beer (a non so hoppy and alcoholic one is recommended)
• 1 tablespoon of aji panca paste (Peruvian red chili paste or it could be replaced by 2 teaspoons of ground paprika)
• 3 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon of garlic puree
• 4 teaspoons of salt
• 4 tablespoons of oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 rocoto in small dices (it could be replaced with ground cayenne pepper)

Preparation:

Put the oil, garlic, cumin and aji panca in a pot on low heat. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the meat cut in small dices (approx. 1.5 cm or 1/2 inch) and the black pepper and mix well. Cover the pot and let it cook on medium temperature for 10 minutes stirring once or twice. Add the tomato, bay leaves and beer and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Add the onions and 1 tablespoon of diced rocoto (or 1 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper) and let it cook for 3-5 minutes until the onion is soft.

Serve with your favorite crusty bread (ciabatta, French baguette or Kaiser roll), in order to dip the bread in the stew. Put the remaining rocoto in a small bowl to add it to plates at will.