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The Melting Pot
Carne Guisada hero image coming soon
1800s-present - Mexican American families and Tex-Mex cooks in Texas and the borderlands
Carne guisada means stewed meat, and in Texas it is a beloved Mexican American home-cooking and Tex-Mex restaurant dish. Cubed beef cooks slowly with chiles, tomatoes, aromatics, and gravy until it can be spooned into tortillas or served as a plate lunch.
Difficulty
Moderate
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
1 hour 45 minutes
Total time
2 hours 5 minutes
Servings
6 servings
Region
Texas, South Texas, and Mexican American borderlands
Era introduced
1800s-present
Introduced by
Mexican American families and Tex-Mex cooks in Texas and the borderlands
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Carne guisada is comfort food with a borderlands accent. Some versions are tomato-forward, some brown and gravy-like, and some include potatoes. In Texas, it belongs equally to home kitchens and Tex-Mex restaurants, where it can become breakfast tacos, lunch plates, or a filling for flour tortillas. The key is patient simmering until the beef is tender and the sauce clings.
Drafted with Tex-Mex carne guisada context from Homesick Texan (https://www.homesicktexan.com/carne-guisada-tex-mex-stew/), Mexican American home-cooking context from Adan Medrano (https://adanmedrano.com/carne-guisada-con-papas-chile-serrano/), and method context from Texas Recipe Workbook (https://www.recipeworkbook.com/tex-mex-carne-guisada/).
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