Molha de Carne
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I’ve never been to Portugal (actually, there are so many countries I’ve never been too… I’ve not been much of a globe-trotter as of yet!), but I hear Portugal is wonderful! When I had the opportunity to try my hand at a Portuguese recipe, Molha de Carne, or beef stew with potatoes, really was a must-have! If you know me by now, you know I just love potatoes, and a meat and potato dish will always have my name on it!
Is Portuguese food a new cuisine for you too? This Molha de Carne recipe is excellent to dip your toes into the cuisine without leaving your home! I encourage you to make Portugal no longer a destination unseen by preparing this beef and potato stew as part of your one-month Live to Cook challenge! I also encourage you to make Portuguese cooking a theme for the week to give you some more creative ideas and get out of your comfort zone, as I explain in my free motivational guide Make Cooking Fun!!. Get started on your cooking journey for free by signing up to my email newsletter, plus you’ll never miss out on an exciting dinner idea again with all of my new recipes going right to your inbox!
Check out the video at the bottom of this post to see all the details in how this Molha de Carne comes together! It would mean a lot if you would please subscribe to my YouTube channel, and be sure to press the bell button so you’re notified when my video recipes go live! You’ll get a full picture of how easy this flavourful and wholesome Portuguese beef stew comes together, and it will bring all the concepts of the written recipe together. Let’s get cooking!
EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR Molha de Carne
Ingredients for Molha de Carne
For all ingredient quantities and to save the recipe for later, scroll to the bottom of this post or press the “Jump to Recipe” button for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card. You can also scale the recipe based on how much beef you have to cook or how many portions you want to make! Individual ingredient quantities are automatically adjusted for you, so you don’t need to do any mental math!
Yellow potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Beef stewing cubes: You could also use chuck steak or sirloin tip roast, cut into cubes.
Red wine: The type of red wine I used was Cabernet Sauvignon.
Onions
Garlic cloves
Water
Parsley
How to Make Hearty Portuguese Beef Stew
Heat 2-3 Tbsp of the olive oil in a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and add the chopped onions, carrots and garlic. Add a generous pinch of salt and saute until the veggies turn fragrant and start to soften.
Add the meat and stir well. Stir and cook until each side is browned evenly. Then, add the paprika, ground coriander, ground cumin, freshly ground black pepper and stir well. Cook until the spices become fragrant and coat the meat and veggies well, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the potatoes and mix well until they are also well coated with the spices. If the pan is too try, add a splash of water and continue stirring and cooking for 3-4 minutes.
Add the can of tomatoes, mix and break any large chunks of tomatoes. Add the wine, broth, bay leaf and allspice. Stir well and wait for the gravy to come up to a simmer. Once simmering, lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover the pan and cook for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.
Taste and adjust the dish for salt and pepper. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley leaves and serve hot right away.
Enjoy with crusty bread, rice or quinoa.
Tips To Master Molha De Carne
I like to add the dry spices at the beginning of cooking because the dried spices will release their natural flavours. It’s a technique used in Indian cooking and I’ve adopted it here!
Cube the potatoes evenly so that they cook evenly.
Cooking slow and low will be key to get tender beef and incredible flavours!
Garnish with just a bit of parsley, you don’t need much for this dish!
If you want some extra protein, a commonly served variation is to cook this stew with chorizo as well!
Serving suggestion
The traditional serving suggestion for Molha de Carne is with a warm, crusty bread, such as baguette or Ciabatta. I actually went for these croissant buns that I already had on hand! They were AMAZING with this stew! You could also do simple Steamed White Rice or some quinoa for gluten-free options.
How to Store Portuguese Beef Stew
Be sure to first allow the Portuguese beef stew to completely cool. After, transfer your stew into an airtight container. Due to the garlic and beef in this recipe, I wouldn’t keep it in the fridge for longer than 4 days.
I would most certainly NOT keep Molha de Carne in the freezer! Potatoes never freeze and defrost well, so you’re better off just planning to enjoy this throughout a couple of days or give it to a crowd!