Olla de carne is a traditional Costa Rican beef and vegetable stew, whose name literally means "pot of meat," prepared with a slow cook that gives the ingredients a soft, even texture.
It's a dish of great national pride, eaten at least once a week in many Costa Rican homes.
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Olla de Carne (Costa Rican Beef and Vegetable Stew)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Costa Rican
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg of beef (brisket or shoulder), in large pieces (about 3.3 lb)
- 1 onion
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 sweet bell pepper
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- Fresh thyme and cilantro, to taste
- 2 yuca (cassava), in pieces
- 2 carrots, in pieces
- 1 chayote, in pieces
- 2 potatoes, in pieces
- 300 g of ayote squash, in pieces (about 10.5 oz)
- Salt, to taste
- 20 cups of water
Preparation
- Start cooking, in a large pot with boiling water, add the meat together with the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, cumin, and thyme.
- Simmer, let it cook over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is tender.
- Add the yuca and carrot, add the yuca and carrot, which need more cooking time, and continue cooking for 20 minutes.
- Add the remaining vegetables, add the chayote, potatoes, and ayote squash, and cook 20 more minutes, until all the vegetables are tender.
- Season, adjust the salt to taste during the final minutes of cooking.
- Serve, serve in a deep bowl with good chunks of meat and plenty of vegetables, sprinkling fresh cilantro on top.
Tips for getting it right
- Cooking the meat first, before the vegetables, ensures it turns out tender without the vegetables falling apart.
- Adding the vegetables in the right order, based on their cooking time, keeps some from being undercooked while others overcook.
- Thyme and cilantro are key to this stew's characteristic aroma.
- Sprinkling fresh cilantro just before serving adds freshness to the dish.
Traditional variations
- Some families add corn on the cob or green plantain to the preparation.
- It's traditionally served alongside white rice.
How to serve
Olla de carne is served hot, in a deep bowl, with plenty of vegetables, alongside white rice.
It's a dish of great Costa Rican pride, typically eaten on weekends because of its long cooking time.
Recommended sides
- White rice
- Corn tortillas
Did you know?
The name "olla de carne" literally means "pot of meat," referring to the vessel in which everything is slowly cooked.
Costa Ricans usually prepare it on weekends, since its long cooking time requires available time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cooking the meat first ensures it turns out tender after the slow cook, without the vegetables, which need less time, falling apart.
It literally means "pot of meat," referring to the vessel where all the ingredients are slow-cooked.
It's usually made on weekends, since its several-hour slow cook requires available time.
It's traditionally served with white rice, in a deep bowl with plenty of vegetables and fresh cilantro.
