How to make carne guisada, from scratch

Wander into any South Texas breakfast taco spot, ask for a "guisada taco", and you'll get this regional, breakfast-time staple.

Carne guisada
Carne guisada

Being a regional dish, I found that there aren't many recipes for carne guisada online. The recipes that are out there are mostly terrible (they tend to be watery, flavorless, tough, or greasy... take your pick). I set out to make the ultimate guisada recipe, with all the right spices for tons of flavor, beef with just the right amount of marbling, and a thick gravy that you can sop up with an extra tortilla.

Servings 20 TACOS
Calories 408 CALORIES
per taco
Cost $1.93
per taco

Recipe for homemade carne guisada

Add canola oil and beef chuck to a 8-quart stock pot set over high heat, and brown on all sides.

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 3 pounds beef chuck, seasoned heavily with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the beef and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. When rested, remove the layer of fat, and then cut into 3/4 inch cubes.

While the meat rests, make a medium roux by whisking flour and butter together constantly until it reaches the color of peanut butter.

  • ½ cup flour
  • 6 tablespoons butter

Add poblanos, yellow onion, and kosher salt, and cook until softened.

  • 3 poblanos, seeds removed, chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Add garlic, and saute until fragrant.

  • 9 cloves garlic, minced

Add Roma tomatoes, oregano, cumin seeds, chili powder, paprika, black pepper, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves, and heat through.

  • 8 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, or 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
  • 2.5 teaspoons cumin seeds, ground in a spice grinder
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons freshly-ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3 bay leaves

Add cubed beef and beef stock, and bring everything to a boil.

  • cubed beef
  • 1 quart beef stock, plus an additional 1/2 quart set aside

Reduce over low heat, simmering gently until thickened (~3-4 hours) and beef is tender. Skim fat from surface and stir every 15-20 minutes. If necessary, add additional stock (or water) to prevent the gravy from thickening until the beef is tender.

Season to taste with kosher salt.

  • kosher salt

Remove bay leaves.

Serve with flour tortillas, sharp cheddar, and Big Red.

  • 20 flour tortillas
  • 4 oz sharp cheddar, coarsely shredded
  • Big Red