Minced beef with vegetables a la Dominicana is a dish that can be adapted in many ways. This mince beef recipe is as loaded with vegetables as it is with flavor.
Why we ❤️ it
Of all beef mince recipes, this carne molida dish is my favorite. It is so flavorful, so comforting, so filling, that you'll keep serving it over and over again.
There's meat in it, yes, but it is also so filled with vegetables, herbs and spices that it is truly a classic example of what I call the Dominican "arte de rendir": Making a lot of very little.
Origin
This shouldn't surprise anyone, but the food we eat today, our comfort food, the food we love most, is most probably the kind of food that a poor peasant created at some point to feed her family. From the French bouillabaisse, made by poor fishermen's wives with the fish they kept after a day's sale, to the Brazilian feijoada, a black bean stew with the bits of pork the slavemasters deemed too disgusting to eat, and were passed down to the slaves. Today these dishes are iconic, served with pomp and ceremony at fancy restaurants the world over.
Many a great Dominican dish -- if not most -- has been born out of scarcity and poverty. The art of "rendir", to bulk out, to stretch meals, has been ingrained in our way of cooking. Adding vegetables to meat dishes is a greatly cherished tradition in our country, even after we get past the need to stretch our budget to feed an enormous family. It became a tradition, and ironically, it's probably the best thing we could do for our health.
Other variations
Eggplant, okra, chayote (tayota) and West Indian gherkin (pepino silvestre) are the preferred vegetables for adding to meat dishes, as was confirmed by our Facebook followers.
If you'd like to switch this meat for another, the good news is that you can use ground chicken, turkey, or pork following the exact same recipe.
While I prefer regular minced beef, you can also opt for lean ground beef without much loss of flavor.
Serving suggestions
Minced beef with vegetables is a dish that is very versatile. My first choice would be to serve with arroz blanco and avocado. We serve it as a quasi-stew when served with rice, or leave the potatoes out and top some boiled spaghetti with it, or cut down on the vegetables for a more meat-heavy dish.
Any leftovers will last a couple of days in the fridge and can find their way into soups, or as a filling for empanadas. It really is a poor man's dish: simple, flavorful, comforting, versatile, inexpensive.
About our recipe
I love spicy food, so a suitable amount of hot sauce will add the kick you crave, but it is entirely optional.
This recipe yields 6 servings.
Recipe
[Recipe + Video] Minced Beef with Vegetables a la Dominicana
Ingredients
- 1½ pound minced beef, [0.7 kg]
- 1½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground)
- 2 tablespoons oil for frying
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- ¾ cup tomato sauce
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- ¾ pound waxy potatoes, [0.35 kg], diced
- 1 celery stalk, (with leaves), chopped
- 1 red bell pepper
- ½ tablespoon hot sauce, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
Instructions
Brown meat: Season meat with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat and cook and stir until all the liquid has evaporated and meat is browned.Add onion and garlic, and cook stirring until they have heated through.Stir in tomato sauce and water. Lower heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer until it breaks the boil (5-7 min).
Cook vegetables: Mix in potato and carrot. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, adding water as it becomes necessary to maintain the same level.Add bell pepper and celery, Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, adding water as it becomes necessary to maintain the same level.Season with hot sauce and salt to taste. Mix in the parsley and remove from the heat.
Serving: Remove from the hear and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutritional information.
