Skip to main content
LoginSign Up
Mexican Beef and Tomatillo Stew (Entomatado de Res)

Mexican Beef and Tomatillo Stew (Entomatado de Res)

By Julia RackowAugust 5, 2019

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    3½ hours
  • Active time plus cooling
    15 minutes active

This classic Mexican dish, based on a recipe in “Tu Casa Mi Casa” by chef Enrique Olvera, uses tart and tangy tomatillos to balance the richness of beef. Yukon Gold potatoes lend the broth light body while giving the stew more substance. This recipe is about as simple as can be—most ingredients go into the pot without browning and cook in the oven for a couple of hours, then the tomatillos and potatoes are added, and the stew finishes in the oven for another hour or so. Serve with warmed tortillas on the side.

Tip

Don't prep the potatoes until you're ready to add them to the pot or the cut surfaces will discolor. If you must prep them in advance, keep them submerged in water, then drain them well before use.

Ingredients
  • 2½

    pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks

  • 1

    medium yellow onion, cut into 1-inch chunks

  • 5

    medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

  • 2

    jalapeño chilies, 1 stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped, 1 stemmed and sliced into thin rounds

  • 3

    bay leaves

  • 1

    teaspoon dried oregano

  • ½

    teaspoon ground cumin

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 1

    pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1½-inch chunks

  • 12

    ounces tomatillos, husked, cored and roughly chopped

  • Pumpkin seeds, toasted, to serve

  • Roughly chopped fresh cilantro, to serve

Step 1

Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. In a Dutch oven, toss together the beef, onion, garlic, the chopped jalapeño, bay, oregano, cumin, 1½ teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cover, transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours.

Step 2

Remove the pot from the oven and stir in the potatoes and tomatillos. Cover, return to the oven and cook until the potatoes are tender and a knife inserted into a piece of beef meets no resistance, another 1 to 1½ hours.

Step 3

Remove and discard the bay, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with toasted pumpkin seeds, cilantro and sliced jalapeño.

Featured in