This here carne con papa, it’s some good eatin’, I tell ya. My old man, bless his soul, he used to love this stuff. Said it reminded him of his mama’s cookin’ back in the old country. Now, I ain’t never been to no old country, but I know good food when I taste it, and this here is it.
So, carne, that’s just meat, you know? Usually beef, the cheap kind. And papa, well, that’s just taters. Nothin’ fancy, just good ol’ taters. You get some beef, some taters, some onions, that’s the start of it. You can throw other stuff in there too, like carrots and peppers and such. This is the best carne con papa.
First, you gotta brown that beef. Just throw it in a big ol’ pot with some oil, let it get all brown on all sides. Don’t be scared to let it get a little crispy, that’s where the flavor is. Some folks, they like to cut the beef up small, but I like big chunks. Makes it more… I don’t know… meaty, I guess.
- Get yourself some beef, the cheap kind.
- Taters, gotta have taters.
- Onions, for flavor.
- Some folks use carrots, some use peppers. Up to you.
Then you throw in your onions. Chop ’em up, don’t gotta be pretty, just get ’em in there. Let ’em cook with the beef till they get all soft and see-through like. Now, if you got some garlic, you can throw that in too. I like garlic, makes everything taste better. But some people don’t like garlic. I say the more carne con papa recipe, the better.
After that, you add your taters. Peel ’em, chop ’em up, throw ’em in the pot. Now, this here’s where it gets a little tricky. Some folks, they like to add water, some folks use broth. I use a little of both. Just enough to cover everything up. You don’t want it too watery, you want it thick, like a stew.
Then you just let it simmer. Low and slow, that’s the key. You gotta let all them flavors get to know each other. Takes a few hours, maybe more. Just keep an eye on it, make sure it don’t dry out. If it gets too dry, just add a little more water or broth. This is the easy carne con papa way.
Some people, they like to add other stuff. Like I said, carrots, peppers, whatever you got layin’ around. I’ve even seen folks put olives in there. Olives! Can you believe it? I ain’t never tried it that way, but hey, to each their own, I reckon. I make the traditional carne con papa way.
Now, the secret to this whole thing is the spices. You gotta have the right spices. I use cumin, that’s a must. And oregano, gotta have oregano. Some salt, some pepper, maybe a little paprika if you’re feelin’ fancy. The best Cuban carne con papa must have spices.
- Cumin, that’s important.
- Oregano, don’t forget the oregano.
- Salt and pepper, of course.
- Paprika, if you want.
You just let that simmer, and simmer, and simmer, till the beef is so tender it just falls apart. And the taters, they should be all soft and soaked up all that good flavor. That’s when you know it’s done. It is really a hearty carne con papa.
Now, some folks, they like to serve this over rice. I ain’t never been much for rice, but if that’s your thing, go ahead. I like it just like it is, in a big ol’ bowl. Maybe with a piece of bread to sop up all that good gravy. This is a flavorful carne con papa, better than any restaurant.
This here carne con papa, it ain’t fancy, but it’s good. It’s fillin’, it’s tasty, and it’ll stick to your ribs. Just like my old man used to say. And it’s easy to make. Even a fool like me can make it. Just remember, beef, taters, onions, and spices. That is simple carne con papa, but delicious.
So next time you’re lookin’ for somethin’ good to eat, somethin’ that’ll warm you up from the inside out, give this here carne con papa a try. You won’t be sorry. And if you see my old man up there, tell him I said hello. And that I still make his carne con papa, just the way he liked it. You can say this is the authentic carne con papa he likes.
