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A cast iron skillet with cacoila--or chucks of Portuguese stewed beef, bay leaf, and a fork
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4.89 / 27 votes

Caçoila | Portuguese Stewed Beef

Caçoila, or Portuguese stewed beef, is a comforting braise of beef, red peppers, and aromatics, cooked very slowly in a red wine, tomato, and butter sauce.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time1 day
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Azorean
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 567

Ingredients

  • One (4 1/2-pound) chuck roast, cut into 2- to 3-inch (5- to 8-cm) chunks
  • 2 tablespoons crushed red peppers, (see LC Note above), or more to taste, or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 large (9 oz) onion, cut into slices
  • 1 bunch parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice berries
  • 4 whole cloves
  • Kosher salt, to taste (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz) unsalted butter or lard
  • 2 cups hearty red table wine
  • 2 tablespoons store-bought or homemade tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For serving

  • Boiled white potatoes, (optional)
  • Roasted red peppers, (optional)
  • Cooked greens, (optional)
US - Metric

Instructions

  • The day before cooking, in a large bowl, coat the beef with the crushed red pepper, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
  • About 4 hours before you intend to sit down at the table, scatter the onion slices, parsley, garlic, and bay leaves in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Tuck the allspice and cloves in a piece of cheesecloth tied together with kitchen twine or in a tea ball and toss them in the Dutch oven. If desired, season the beef with salt. Place the beef on top and dot with the butter or lard. 
  • In a measuring glass or bowl, stir together the wine, tomato paste, and cinnamon and pour it over the beef.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the meat is very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours, turning the pieces occasionally. For a more stew-like version, keep the lid on for the duration of cooking. For a more concentrated, glaze-like sauce version, about halfway through cooking, remove the lid to let some of the liquid evaporate so the sauce can concentrate in consistency and flavor.
  • Remove the bay leaves and the cheesecloth pouch or teaball. If desired, serve the caçoila with boiled white potatoes, roasted red peppers, and cooked greens.

Notes

PORTUGUESE STEWED PORK

You can use the same amount of pork butt cooked in the same manner.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 187mg | Sodium: 249mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g