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Home » Main Course » Azores Beef Stew with Potatoes (Molha de Carne)

Azores Beef Stew with Potatoes (Molha de Carne)

April 12, 2015 by Nelson Cardoso 26 Comments

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Azores beef stew

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

Azores beef stew

 

4.6 from 5 reviews
Azores Beef Stew with Potatoes (Molha de Carne)
 
Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
3 hours
Total time
3 hours 20 mins
 
This Portuguese beef stew (molha de carne) takes me back to my youth. It tastes so good and makes the house smell amazing. Be careful, you might not be able to get the neighbours to leave.
Author: Nelson Cardoso
Recipe type: Main, Dinner
Cuisine: Portuguese / Azores
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 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
Instructions
  1. Cut the beef into large chunks.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Remove the lid, add the water and cover again. Simmer for 2 hours.
  6. Uncover, add the potatoes, mix well, cover and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
  7. Do you smell that? Are people lined up outside your door? Now go enjoy this awesome meal!
Notes
Prep time does not include marinading time which can be from 2 hours to overnight.

You can also leave out the potatoes and serve this with simple butter rice.
3.2.2925

Filed Under: Main Course, Portuguese Recipes Tagged With: azores, Beef, meat

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Comments

  1. Avatarazoreseuropa says

    July 3, 2016 at 7:52 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Nelson Cardoso Nelson Cardoso says

      July 4, 2016 at 8:55 am

      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.

      Reply
  2. Avatarazoreseuropa says

    July 6, 2016 at 11:42 am

    I am a Portuguese from Azores, Portugal but live in America. A golden yukon potatoes are better than white potato for this.

    Reply
  3. AvatarAadila says

    February 10, 2018 at 5:14 am

    Hi there , how would you make this by omitting the alcohol.?

    Reply
    • Nelson Cardoso Nelson Cardoso says

      February 10, 2018 at 11:25 pm

      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!

      Reply
    • AvatarDianne Foley says

      November 14, 2018 at 11:04 am

      If the alcohol does not cook down is it ok to serve to alchohalic or childres

      Reply
      • Nelson Cardoso Nelson Cardoso says

        November 18, 2018 at 12:47 am

        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.

        Reply
  4. AvatarMary says

    March 23, 2018 at 5:49 pm

    I just made this last night. The meat was so tender and so delicious.

    Reply
    • Nelson Cardoso Nelson Cardoso says

      March 28, 2018 at 5:58 pm

      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!

      Reply
  5. AvatarMelissa says

    September 10, 2018 at 9:23 pm

    Can this be made in a slow cooker?

    Reply
    • Nelson Cardoso Nelson Cardoso says

      September 29, 2018 at 10:37 am

      Hi Melissa, absolutely. I’ve done it before and it came out very tasty.

      Reply
  6. AvatarSammie says

    November 1, 2018 at 11:52 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Nelson Cardoso Nelson Cardoso says

      November 18, 2018 at 12:50 am

      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.

      Reply
    • AvatarH.Affonso says

      February 22, 2021 at 2:47 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Nelson Cardoso Nelson Cardoso says

        April 4, 2021 at 10:45 am

        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.

        Reply
  7. Avatarval says

    November 15, 2018 at 3:04 pm

    Do I have to use wine or is beer just fine?

    Reply
    • Nelson Cardoso Nelson Cardoso says

      November 18, 2018 at 12:46 am

      Hi Val, beer should work nicely. Take care.

      Reply
  8. AvatarAlice says

    January 16, 2019 at 2:21 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Nelson Cardoso Nelson Cardoso says

      January 26, 2019 at 1:53 pm

      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

      Reply
  9. AvatarManuel . says

    June 2, 2019 at 9:26 pm

    To Nelson I am from Pico and have a house there . Do you ever visit the island.

    Reply
    • Nelson Cardoso Nelson Cardoso says

      June 9, 2019 at 11:56 pm

      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.

      Reply
  10. AvatarFrancesco Rodrigues says

    July 10, 2019 at 11:00 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Nelson Cardoso Nelson Cardoso says

      October 20, 2019 at 9:28 pm

      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!

      Reply
  11. AvatarKate says

    May 10, 2020 at 6:47 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Nelson Cardoso Nelson Cardoso says

      May 19, 2020 at 8:40 pm

      Hi Kate, we add it all to the pot.The liquid becomes part of the tasty sauce 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Sriracha, Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Dip | Photos & Food says:
    February 26, 2017 at 9:09 pm

    […] our lunch, I prepared one of our favourite comfort foods, Azores beef stew. As an appetizer I made a roasted red pepper and goat cheese dip–perfect with bite-sized […]

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