COOK: Ancho Coffee Braised Venison or Beef (Carne de Res con Cafe)

• Ancho Coffee Braised Venison or Beef Ingredients
• Kitchen Equipment Needed
• How to Make Carne de Res con Cafe
• Storage & Serving Ideas
• Ancho Coffee Braised Venison or Beef (Carne de Res con Cafe)

This ancho coffee braised meat stew is a rich, smoky beef or venison dish from Panama and Nicaragua, flavored with dried ancho chiles and roasted coffee. This dish is traditionally made with beef, but it’s also a perfect preparation for venison. The slight bitterness and acidity of the coffee marries perfectly with the sweet spice of the chiles and roasted tomato paste, balanced by tangy tomatoes and bright green bell peppers.

Traditionally served with rice pilaf, this braised chile & coffee beef or venison stew is also delicious with a side of boiled or fried green plantains (tostones) or fresh warm thick corn or flour tortillas and your favorite fixings.

If you somehow end up with leftovers, this thick flavorful stew also makes a great burrito, enchilada, tamale, or empanada filling!

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Ancho Coffee Braised Venison or Beef Ingredients

Beef or Venison:

This dish is traditionally made with beef, but it’s also a perfect preparation for venison. You can use pre-cut and trimmed beef or venison stew meat, or start with a chuck or similar roast, cut into 2″ cubes.

Onion:

I use large yellow onions in this recipe, but you can also substitute white or red onions.

Coffee:

You’ll need two cups of strongly-brewed coffee for this braise. You can also use prepared instant coffee, but use a good quality freshly brewed coffee for the best flavor.

Peppers:

This dish is flavored with dried ancho chiles (dried poblanos), which have a dark, sweet, smoky flavor and a mild to medium heat.

You’ll also be adding sliced or chopped green sweet bell peppers to the braise.

Tomatoes:

You can use peeled and diced fresh tomatoes, or canned diced tomatoes in this recipe. Substitute canned whole tomatoes, roughly chopped.

You’ll also need a quarter cup of tomato paste. Portion out what you need for this recipe and freeze the rest of the can in a small container or zip-seal bag to use for another dish.

Carrots:

The sliced carrots are added during the last 20 minutes of cooking, so that they are just tender. They add sweetness and color to the dish (and they’re good for you!).

Seasoning:

This dish is simply seasoned with a bit of ground earthy cumin for balance, sweet brown sugar or piloncillo sugar, salt, and pepper. Use freshly ground black pepper if possible.

Vegetable Oil or Lard:

You’ll want just a bit of a high-heat oil to brown the venison or beef cubes. You can also use lard or tallow if you prefer.

Kitchen Equipment Needed

dutch oven or Instant Pot:

You can make this dish entirely on the stove top, or sear everything and finish it in the oven or a slow cooker for a hands-off slow braise.

You can even use an Instant Pot to cut down on braising time, but if you have the time for the low and slow oven or stove top braise, it’s worth it for how it concentrates the flavors though! If you use an Instant Pot, you’ll need to strain and simmer the sauce to thicken it up before serving, since the sauce won’t reduce during the braise.

cutting board & sharp knife:

You’ll want a large cutting board and a sharp knife to prep the meat (unless you are using pre-trimmed and cubed stew meat) and to chop and slice the vegetables and dried ancho chiles.

How to Make Carne de Res con Cafe

prep meat and vegetables:

• If you are not using diced stew meat, cut the meat into 1-2″ cubes, trimming any tough bits of tendon or silverskin.
• Peel and slice the onions and garlic, seed and slice the green peppers, and remove the stems and seeds from the dried ancho chiles and dice them small.
• Peel and chop the carrots, and set aside for later.

sear meat:

• In a heavy oven-safe pot, dutch oven, or Instant Pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
• Add the meat in a single layer, and sear until it is browned on all sides, seasoning with the salt and pepper. You will probably need to brown the meat in two or three batches unless you have a large, shallow pan (like a rondeau).
• Don’t crowd the pan, or it will boil and steam instead of browning. Hold the browned meat and any liquid in another pot or heat resistant bowl, and add it back in when all the meat is browned.

add onion, peppers, and tomatoes:

• Reduce the heat to medium, add tomato paste, and stir. Next, add the sliced onions, green pepper, garlic, and tomatoes.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer and add the coffee and ancho chiles.

braise the meat and vegetables:

• Cover the pan and braise over medium-low heat or in a 375℉ oven until tender, about 2 ½-3 hours, or for 20-25 minutes under high pressure in an Instant Pot with quick release.
• You can also transfer everything from the stove top to a crock pot or slow cooker and braise slowly until the meat is tender (this will take longer in a crock pot than the oven or Instant Pot but can be handy for meal prep).

add carrots & season:

• Add the carrots after the meat is fork-tender, and cook until the carrots are just beginning to soften, about 20 minutes.
• Add the brown sugar or piloncillo, salt, and pepper to taste.

reduce sauce as needed:

• If you braised the dish slowly on the stove top or in the oven or a crock pot, the sauce will be properly reduced and thickened for serving.
• If you used an Instant Pot, you will probably need to reduce the sauce further to concentrate the flavor and thicken it.
  • Strain the sauce from the meat (or carefully spoon out the vegetables and meat into a serving dish and keep warm) and reduce the sauce over medium-low heat until it is at a nappe consistency (will coat a spoon).

adjust seasoning and serve:

• Adjust seasoning again if necessary.
• Serve the braised meat and vegetables with the ancho coffee sauce over white or brown rice pilaf, with warm tortillas, or fried plantains.

Storage & Serving Ideas

You can make this braised ancho chile beef or venison ahead of time. Prepare it and chill for up to 3-4 days before serving, or portion it out for easy meal prep.

You can portion your finished carne de res or venison chile stew out into individual containers onto a bed of cooked rice for easy ready-made lunches or dinners, or freeze the stew separately in smaller portions. If you freeze the dish, the vegetables will be softer when you thaw and serve it, but they’re still tasty!