Azores beef stew
This “Molha de Carne” is one of those meals Nelson ate many times while living in the Azores. His mom typically made this on Sundays or during festivals. The stew is rich and full of flavour.
On the Islands, you can usually tell who’s cooking up one of these meals by the smell coming from inside the house…and we mean ‘smell’ in a good way!
This stew is very saucy so it lends itself well to being dunked with homemade bread. Traditionally, this meal is served with homemade sweet bread (folar or pão doce, soon to be posted on this blog) as seen in the shot.
This photo also includes a clay jug and bowl. The bowl is called “teladeira” and was used many years ago instead of a glass for drinking wine. Nelson’s dad still has one of these jugs and a few bowls that belonged to Nelson’s great grandfather from over 100 years ago.
This particular meal really hits home for Nelson and the aroma takes him back to his youth. We are so happy Nelson introduced us to this dish and this tradition. We all love it and hope you enjoy this as much as we do.
Azores beef stew
- 3.5 lbs sirloin tip roast cut into large pieces (about double or triple the size of regular stewing meat)
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup beer
- 1 small can of tomato paste (5.5 fl oz)
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 cup water
- 6 white potatoes chopped into large pieces
- Cut the beef into large chunks.
- In a large bowl add the white wine, beer, tomato paste, salt, paprika, allspice and whisk until well combined. Add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.
- Add the meat to the bowl and mix well to cover all the meat pieces. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap or put place the entire contents into a ziplock. Store in the fridge for at least two hours or even over night.
- Place a large pot on the stove and add the meat contents to the pot. Add the onions and garlic and bring to a slow boil for 30 minutes covered.
- Remove the lid, add the water and cover again. Simmer for 2 hours.
- Uncover, add the potatoes, mix well, cover and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Do you smell that? Are people lined up outside your door? Now go enjoy this awesome meal!
You can also leave out the potatoes and serve this with simple butter rice.
You can use red wine. I did since Portugal and Azores prefers Red Wine. I came from Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal. Its delicious and my favorite.
Hello AzoresEuropa, yes, red wine would work very well here. I’m following some of my mom’s recipes and she typically uses white wine for this recipe, but red would be perfect as well. Thank you for dropping by and thanks for the suggestion. Take care.
I am a Portuguese from Azores, Portugal but live in America. A golden yukon potatoes are better than white potato for this.
Hi there , how would you make this by omitting the alcohol.?
Hi Aadila, I would replace it all with chicken or beef broth. The alcohol does cook down in this recipe if you’re concerned about that, but the broth should work as well if needed.Take care and happy cooking!
If the alcohol does not cook down is it ok to serve to alchohalic or childres
Hi Aadila, the meat cooks for a long time, so you don’t need to be concerned with the alcohol. It will definitely cook down. Take care.
I just made this last night. The meat was so tender and so delicious.
Thank you so much for letting us no. It makes us so happy to know others enjoy our recipes. I made the same meal last Sunday. Happy cooking!
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
Hi Melissa, absolutely. I’ve done it before and it came out very tasty.
Is there a certain red or white wine to use with this ? My husband is from Azores and i really want to surprise him with one of his fav meals but his family never teaches me anything. I do know his mom uses red wine
My mom often used our own homemade wine, so nothing special needed. The rule of thumb is usually… if it tastes good to drink, it’ll taste good in your food 🙂 Best of luck with the recipe. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy and flexible the recipe is.
There’s a brand called Carlo Rossi that works perfect in Portuguese cooking & taste similar(but not as strong) to what my Portuguese dad would call “Portuguese diesel” lol homemade Portuguese wine. It’s not expensive & it’s what I use in my Sopas & what our Portuguese festas use also. Hugs & happy Portuguese cooking. Oh & to the author Nelson, I love all your recipes. Thank you so much.
Thanks so much for stopping by and for sharing the insights. Always appreciated! Funny… I’m pretty sure my dad also called it Portuguese diesel. Thanks for the kind words. Take care.
Do I have to use wine or is beer just fine?
Hi Val, beer should work nicely. Take care.
What type of beer is best? A light or dark? I was very lucky to have visited the Azores in the late seventies. My uncle was in the Air Force and was stationed there. My mom and I were able to go spend and celebrate our Thanksgiving with my aunt and uncle. It was absolutely beautiful there. They took us to some underground caves that were amazing. Would love to take a trip with my husband and show him how beautiful the Azores are.
Hi Alice, I’ve typically use a light beer because it’s what I usually have at home. It’s a forgiving recipe, so feel free to use whatever you have handy. Do visit the Azores one day with your husband if you can. It’s definitely a memorable place. Here’s a little video I saw this week that may entice you to do it sooner than later. Take care. https://youtu.be/SzRxxR02a30
To Nelson I am from Pico and have a house there . Do you ever visit the island.
Hi there, yes we visit every 3 to 4 years. I love going back. My parents are there, so we stay with them in Ribeiras when we visit.
The broth got to thick before the 2 hours so I added more water, is that ok? Maybe I had it simmering a little too high. Still turned out amazing the whole family loved it and want more
Hi Francesco, I’m so glad it worked out. The temperature could impact how quickly it thickens, but you did the right thing with the water. Happy cooking!
When you say “add the meat contents to the pot” does that mean add just the meat pieces that have been marinating or add the marinade and the meat to the pot?
Hi Kate, we add it all to the pot.The liquid becomes part of the tasty sauce 🙂