Argentine Cart Driver’s Stew

Guiso carrero has its roots in the Argentine countryside, where cart drivers made it in the classic black three-legged pot hung from their carts, using charqui (sun-dried beef) as the protein base.

It’s still made at home today, especially to celebrate the national holidays of May 25th and July 9th, with fresh beef instead of the original charqui.

Argentine Cart Driver’s Stew

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• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: Argentine

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

• 700 g of beef (shoulder, chuck, or roast beef cut), in pieces (about 1.5 lb)
• 3 tablespoons of oil
• 1 of bell pepper, chopped
• 1 of onion, chopped
• 2 of carrots, sliced
• 2 of tomatoes, chopped
• 2 of potatoes, cubed
• 300 g of pumpkin or squash, cubed (about 10.5 oz)
• 1 of ear of corn, sliced (optional)
• 2 tablespoons of tomato purée
• to taste of salt, crushed red pepper, and paprika
• 500 ml of beef broth (about 2 cups)

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Instructions

1. Sear the beef, cut the beef into pieces and sear it in a pot with oil until browned. Remove and set aside.
2. Cook the vegetables, in the same pot, cook the bell pepper and onion until translucent.
3. Add the beef, stir in the reserved beef, carrot, and chopped tomatoes, and cook a few more minutes.
4. Add the tomato purée, stir in the tomato purée and seasonings, mixing well.
5. Cover with broth, pour in the beef broth to cover the ingredients.
6. Simmer, cook for about an hour and a half.
7. Add potato, squash, and corn, stir these in about halfway through cooking so they don’t fall apart.
8. Finish, cook until the beef is tender and the vegetables are fully cooked, and serve hot.

Tips for getting it right

• Choose cuts with some fat and intramuscular fiber, like shoulder or chuck, for a flavorful stew and tender beef.
• Searing the beef well at the start helps concentrate its flavor before adding the broth.
• Add the more delicate vegetables, like squash and corn, about halfway through cooking so they don’t fall apart.
• This stew is great for making in large batches, since it yields well and stays flavorful when reheated.

Traditional variations

• The original version was made with charqui (sun-dried beef) instead of fresh beef, just as Argentine countryside cart drivers prepared it.
• Some families add rice or pasta near the end of cooking for extra substance.

How to serve

Guiso carrero is served piping hot as a main dish, perfect for family gatherings and national holidays.

It’s a traditional dish of the Argentine countryside, with a strong presence at May 25th and July 9th celebrations.

Recommended sides

• Crusty bread
• Red wine
• Simple salad

Did you know?

Guiso carrero was traditionally cooked in a black three-legged pot, hung directly from the carts of Argentine rural workers.

Its name comes precisely from the “carreteros” (cart drivers), who made it with charqui, the sun-dried beef they used to preserve protein during long journeys.