Ecuadorian FoodQuito-Style Beef Seco with Goldenberry and Creamy Hominy with Cheese
An original dish inspired by Ecuadorian flavors: beef slowly cooked in an aromatic sauce of goldenberries, tomato, annatto, and cilantro, served over creamy hominy with fresh cheese and finished with pickled onion for contrast.
Ingredients
- 800 g beef stew meat, cubed (preferiblemente aguja or paleta)
- 180 g goldenberries (without peel, divided)
- 220 g red onion (100 g en pluma for encurtido and 120 g chopped for the cocción)
- 12 g garlic (chopped)
- 250 g tomato (chopped)
- 100 g green bell pepper (chopped)
- 20 g cilantro (chopped, divided)
- 3 g ground cumin
- 4 g annatto powder
- 1 g dried oregano
- 10 g salt (or to taste, divided)
- 2 g black pepper
- 30 ml oil
- 500 ml beef broth (hot)
- 120 ml orange juice (natural)
- 500 g cooked hominy
- 180 ml milk
- 140 g fresh cheese (desmenuzado, divided)
- 20 g butter
- 30 ml lime (for the encurtido)
- 4 g sugar (for the encurtido)
Nutrition facts
per serving
Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.
Allergens
Instructions
- 1
1. Place 100 g (about 3/4 cup) of sliced red onion in a bowl with the lime juice, sugar, and 1 g salt. Toss well and let it pickle while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
- 2
2. Season the beef with 5 g salt, black pepper, and ground cumin.
- 3
3. Heat the oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Brown the beef for 6 to 8 minutes, working in batches if needed so it colors evenly. Remove and set aside.
- 4
4. In the same pot, add the remaining chopped onion, garlic, green bell pepper, tomato, annatto, and dried oregano. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes until the tomato breaks down and the base is fragrant.
- 5
5. Add 120 g (1 cup) of the goldenberries and half of the cilantro. Cook 2 minutes more, then pour in the orange juice and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the browned bits.
- 6
6. Return the beef to the pot, pour in the hot beef broth, and bring to a gentle boil. Lower to medium-low heat, partially cover, and cook for 75 to 80 minutes, until the beef is very tender and the sauce is lightly thickened.
- 7
7. Meanwhile, make the creamy hominy. Place the cooked hominy in a saucepan with the milk, butter, and 2 g salt. Cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot and creamy.
- 8
8. Add 100 g (3 1/2 oz) of the fresh cheese to the hominy and stir for 1 more minute until incorporated, keeping some visible bits. Adjust salt if needed.
- 9
9. When the beef is ready, add the remaining goldenberries and cook for 3 to 4 minutes so they warm through but keep some texture. Stir in the remaining cilantro and taste for seasoning.
- 10
10. To serve, spoon a base of creamy hominy onto each plate, top with the beef seco and its goldenberry sauce, and finish with the pickled onion and the remaining crumbled fresh cheese.
- 11
11. If you want to hold it warm before serving, cover the pot and saucepan and keep them in a 200 °F / 95 °C oven for up to 15 minutes.
Chef tips
For deeper flavor, let the seasoned beef rest for 20 minutes before browning. If the sauce reduces too much, add a little more hot broth. The final addition of goldenberries brings fresher acidity and better texture.
Substitutions
You can replace goldenberries with mild tree tomato if needed, though the profile will change. Hominy can be swapped for large-kernel cooked white corn. For a dairy-free version, omit the milk, butter, and cheese, and cook the hominy with extra broth and a drizzle of oil.
What I used to make it
Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.
Illustrative imageCosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
Illustrative imageTempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
Illustrative imageVictorinox Fibrox Pro 8" Chef’s Knife
Chopping, slicing and cutting strips
- The knife I use most when cooking
- Chops, slices and cuts into strips
- Keep it sharp and hand-dry it
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