Puerto Rican Style Beef Stew - Lee Chico

• 1 1/2 lbs stew beef cut into medium size cubes about an inch size each
• approx 2 tbsp vinegar
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 2 leaves fresh culantro rinsed and ripped to pieces (culantro NOT Cilantro)
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic (from a jar)
• 1/4 cup GOYA RECAITO
• 1 1/2 Knorr beef cubes
• 2-3 potatoes peeled and cubed (about half the quantity of the stew beef)
• 1/2 c tomato sauce ( can use jarred spaghetti sauce instead)

In a 5 qt pot brown the stew beef with the vinegar on low heat covered stirrring often, add tomato sauce, culantro, cumin garlic recaito Knorr beef cubes and sautee abt 2 mins. or till cubes break down, stir well and add potatoes sautee stirring constantly another minute or so or until it starts to get thick, add approx 30 oz of water and bring to a low boil let boil about a min, then put on low and cover. Let simmer at least 45 min stirring occasionally.

Variations: 

a can of chick peas with liquid and bring to low boil before adding the water Or diced carrots and peas.

Serve over white rice with a slice of avocado and or fried plantains.

NOTE: I do not measure so these are all approximate, taste test as you go along and adjust the recaito, cumin garlic to your taste. If you dont have fresh Culantro just add more recaito. Recao is culantro and goya recaito is a mixture of this with garlic onions peppers etc. Culantro is a long oval shaped leaf while cilantro resembles parsley. I always use the Goya Recaito but since I now have easy access to the fresh culantro leaves I like to add them in, ummmm you can smell it cooking.