Plantain and Beef Stew

Alright, recipe #2 with plantains... found next to bananas at the grocery store. They have the same flavor profile as a banana, just less sugar, starchy-er and require cooking before consumption. 

I bought a lot of stew beef at Costco a little bit ago and it has been in my freezer waiting to be loved in a recipe. I have made traditional stew a few times now and I am just getting a little sick of it. Just when I was worrying it would be taking up space in my freezer a little longer I was reading my Cooking Light Magazine and was inspired to change up one of their recipes to use up my stew beef. I will always admit when my recipe is a version of someone else's, so I will not take credit for this recipe completely- it is a version of Cooking Light's "West African Beef, Plantain, and Okra Stew." I ate mine topped with avocado and hot sauce.

Plantain and Beef Stew

(Printable Version)

- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 1/2-2 lbs Stew Beef, cut into 1inch cubes (bite-sized)
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Small, Sweet Onion, chopped
- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
- 2 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 Large Sweet Potato, peeled and diced
- 3 Cups Beef Stock, low-sodium
- 1 (28-oz) Can Crushed Tomatoes
- 2 Large Green Plantains, cut in half and sliced

1. Pre- Heat a large dutch oven (or pot), over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp of oil and half the beef. Sprinkle with salt and cook until browned on all sides, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the pan. Do the same with the other half of beef. Remove the beef again, and reduce the heat to medium. I always put the beef in the container I am going to store the stew in to save dishes. :)

2. Over medium heat, add the onion, garlic and a splash of beef stock. Cook a few minutes until the onion is translucent and the browned bits are coming off the bottom.

3. Add the spices and cook 30 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients, except the plantains, but including the beef and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low or medium-low and simmer, covered, 25 minutes.

4. After 25 minutes, add the plantain and cook, covered, another 25 minutes. Check for seasoning and enjoy! The soup will thicken a little when it sits because of the plantains.