Carne guisada is my “bowl of red,” except I never eat it in a bowl—always in a flour tortilla. Like chili con carne, this stewed beef is made with chunks of beef and dried chiles and spices, and it also contains tomatoes. But unlike chili con carne, it isn’t served with a bunch of other ingredients and garnishes. Tucked into a flour tortilla, it needs nothing else—just straight up carne guisada.
Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS
2 ancho chiles
4 Tbsp [60 ml] olive or avocado oil
2½-3 lb [1.2 to 1.4 kg] boneless short rib, trimmed and cut into 1½ in [4 cm] cubes
1 large onion, finely diced
½ tsp fine sea salt
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1 Tbsp dried Mexican oregano, preferably Oregano Indio
1½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp chile powder
1 fresh bay leaf, or 2 dried
Fresh black pepper
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups [720 ml] beef broth
1 cup [340 g] crushed San Marzano tomatoes
METHOD
Using tongs, toast the ancho chiles over the open flame of a gas burner until slightly softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stem and seed the chiles and tear them into pieces. Set aside.
Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in a Dutch oven or another large heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the beef and brown it on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes.
Add the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil to the pot. When the oil is hot, add the onion and salt and cook over medium heat, scraping up the browned bits of meat at the bottom of the pot, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, serrano, oregano, cumin seeds, chile powder, bay leaf, and several grinds of black pepper and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
Add the toasted chiles to the pot along with the flour and stir until incorporated. Add the beef broth and tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partly covered, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender and the sauce is thickened, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Taste and adjust the salt. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
From Ama: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen by Josef Centeno and Betty Hallock, © 2019. Published by Chronicle Books. Photographs © Ren Fuller.
This original article first appeared in the SUMMER 2026 issue of City Style and Living Magazine.
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