Bisteces a la Mexicana (Mexican Style Beef Stew)

Bisteces a la Mexicana is a flavorful Mexican-style beef stew that cooks on low heat with tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, herbs and spices.

I make Colombian beef stew all the time (Carne Guisada) but wanted to try a Mexican version. Mexican beef has similar ingredients but uses jalapenos, which Colombian beef stew never uses. In Colombia, this dish is usually served with rice and potato or yucca. In Mexico, they serve it with rice and tortillas, plus pickled jalapeno on the side.

What does “Bistec a la Mexicana” mean?

In Spanish, “bistec” means steak, and “a la Mexicana” means that the dish will have the colors of the Mexican flag, which it gets from the tomatoes, white onion, and jalapenos.

I made this recipe from the cookbook Nopalito: A Mexican Kitchen (affil link) by Gonzalo Guzmán and Stacy Adimando. This book highlights “100 recipes for regional Mexican food from the popular San Francisco restaurant” of the same name. There’s so many delicious recipes in this cookbook that I can’t wait to try. Everything from Toasted Corn with Crema, Tamales, and Queso Fresco to cocktails and agua frescas.

Here’s an excerpt from the authors about this bistec recipe:

“Because in my village, and other smaller villages in Mexico, beef was scarce and expensive, you would rarely if ever serve a whole steak. That is why Bisteces a la Mexicana is traditionally cut into small pieces, perfect for sharing. As with many large-batch meat dishes in Mexican culture, this one is meant to be scooped up with tortillas – or, better yet, tortillas filled with a little white rice and eaten with your hands.”

I really loved how this Mexican beef stew turned out. To make it mild I removed the seeds and membrane from the jalapeno, so it wasn’t spicy, which was perfect for Madison. If you like it hot, just leave the seeds in or use serrano peppers.

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Bisteces a la Mexicana (Mexican Style Beef Stew)

227 Cals
24 Protein
53 Carbs
11.5 Fats

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Total Time: 55 mins

Bisteces a la Mexicana is a flavorful Mexican-style beef stew that cooks on low heat with tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, and Mexican herbs and spices.

2 pounds top sirloin, diced into 3/4 inch cubes
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick sliced, halved (2 cups)
4 jalapenos, stemmed and sliced (remove seeds for mild, leave in for spicy)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups petite diced tomatoes and their juices, from 2 cans
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Optional for serving:

warm soft corn tortillas
cooked rice
pickled jalapenos

Season the beef with salt and let it sit 1 hour.
In a large cast iron pan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat. When hot add the meat and cook, stirring 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the onion, jalapeno, oregano, and cumin, and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to low, add the tomatoes and cook, covered stirring every 5 minutes to prevent sticking, until the meat is tender, about 45 minutes. Add the cilantro.
Divide the meat and serve family style with warm tortillas, rice and pickled jalapeno on the side, if desired.

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 227kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 11.5g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 52mg, Sodium: 465mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g