Beef Stew with Poblanos, Tomatillos, and Potatoes

Tomatillos lend this Latin-inspired stew tangy taste, while roasted poblano chiles offer modest heat. Look for canned tomatillos with the Latin/Mexican foods in your grocery store.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2  poblano chiles
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil, divided
• 2  cups  chopped onion
• 1/3  cup  all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)
• 2  pounds  lean beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1  (12-ounce) pale Mexican beer (such as Corona)
• 2  cups  water
• 1  cup  chopped green bell pepper (about 1 medium)
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh oregano
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground cumin
• 6  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  (28-ounce) can tomatillos, drained and crushed
• 1  (14-ounce) can less-sodium beef broth
• 6  cups  (1-inch) cubed peeled white potato (about 2 pounds)
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) crumbled queso fresco
• Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Preparation

Preheat broiler.

Place poblano chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 10 minutes or until blackened and charred, turning chiles occasionally. Place in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel chiles; cut in half lengthwise. Discard seeds and membranes. Chop chiles; set aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or until onion is tender and golden brown. Spoon onion into a large bowl.

Place flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Dredge beef in flour, shaking off excess. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add half of beef mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Add browned beef to onion. Repeat procedure with remaining beef mixture and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Add beer to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add chopped chiles, 2 cups water, pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic, tomatillos, and beef broth; bring to a simmer. Stir in the beef mixture. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour or until beef is just tender.

Stir in potato. Simmer, uncovered, 50 minutes or until beef and potato are very tender and sauce is thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Ladle 1 1/3 cups stew into each of 8 bowls; sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

385 (29% from fat)

Fat:

12.2g (sat 3.8g,mono 5.8g,poly 0.6g)

Protein:

27.9g

Carbohydrate:

38.7g

Fiber:

6.2g

Cholesterol:

74mg

Iron:

4.5mg

Sodium:

597mg

Calcium:

84mg