Recipe - Caldereta

Stephen Ceideburg
2 pound Lamb, beef or goat, cut into
1 1/2inch cubes
3 tablespoon Distilled white vinegar
1 One fourth teaspoon Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoon Olive oil
3 Whole dried hot red chiles
5 Garlic cloves, peeled and
minced
1 lg Onion, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon Whole black peppercorns
1 Twoinch cinnamon stick
2 Bay leaves
4 teaspoon Tomato paste
2 md Potatoes
One half lg Red bell pepper
8 Whole stuffed green olives

Put the cubed meat into a bowl and add the vinegar, salt and pepper. Set
aside for 30 to 40 minutes. Drain the meat, saving the liquid, and pat it
dry.

In a large heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. When it is hot,
add the chiles. Stir for a few seconds or until they swell and darken.
Remove chiles with a slotted spoon and set aside. Put as many cubes of meat
into the pan as will fit without crowding.

Brown the meat on all sides and repeat until all of the meat is browned.
Remove meat from pan.

Put the onion and garlic into the pan and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up
any pan juices. Put in the black peppercorns, cinnamon and bay leaves. Stir
and cook another minute. Return the meat to the pan with its accumulated
juices, the chiles, the reserved marinade and the tomato paste. Stir and
cook for 1 minute. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover, turn the
heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2inch cubes. When the
meat has cooked for 15 minutes, add the potatoes. Cover and continue to
cook for 4560 minutes or until the meat is tender. Seed the bell pepper
and cut it into 1/4inch wide strips. When the meat is tender, put the
peppers and olives into the stew. Stir and cook another 35 minutes.

Joyce Jumpering writing in the San Jose Mercury News, 5/19/93.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini