Mexicali Beef Stew In Pumpkin Shell Food

MEXICALI BEEF STEW IN PUMPKIN SHELL

Steps:

• In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef, onions, and garlic; brown beef evenly. Pour off drippings. Add broth and salsa. Return beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 1-½ hours, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, cut top off pumpkin; scrape out fibers and seeds. Approximately 10 minutes before serving, pour boiling water into pumpkin; cover and let stand. Drain before serving.
• Add zucchini to Dutch oven; continue cooking, covered, 10 minutes or until beef is tender.
• Dissolve cornstarch in water. Stir in cornstarch mixture; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Stir in tomatoes and olives. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Ladle into Pumpkin Shell.
• ***Note - I realize that the pumpkin seems like a fanciful touch, but it will keep the stew hot for hours!

PUMPKIN SHELL BEEF STEW

Steps:

• In a large pan suitable for stew, cook garlic, onion, and beef in oil until meat is browned. Add tomatoes, geeen pepper, sugar, apricots, beef broth, sweet potatoes, baking potatoes, and some salt and pepper.
• Cover and simmer 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325.
• Meanwhile, cut top off of pumpkin. Scoop out seeds and stringy membrane. Brush inside of pumpkin with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Once the hour has passed, stir sherry and corn into stew and pour stew into pumpkin shell.
• Place pumpkin shell on baking sheet and bake 1 hour, or until pumpkin meat is tender.
• Place pumpkin in large serving bowl and ladle out stew, scooping out some of pumpkin with each stew serving.

CAZUELA DE VACA (BEEF AND PUMPKIN STEW)

Steps:

• Cut the piece of beef into 6 large chunks (one per serving). Place the beef into a large saucepan; pour in the beef broth and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until nearly tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Stir the polenta into the stew along with the potatoes and onion. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Cut the pumpkin into 6, serving-sized pieces, and add to the stew along with the corn, carrot, bell pepper, celery, and leek; simmer until the vegetables are tender, adding more water if needed to barely cover. Stir in the oregano and paprika during the last 5 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into serving bowls, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

PUMPKIN STEW

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, brown meat in 2 tablespoons oil. Add water, potatoes, carrots, green pepper, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Stir in bouillon and tomatoes. Wash pumpkin; cut a 6 to 8 in. circle around top stem. Remove top and set aside; discard seeds and loosen fibers from inside. , Place pumpkin in a shallow sturdy baking pan. Spoon stew into pumpkin and replace top. Brush outside of pumpkin with remaining oil. Bake at 325° for 2 hours or just until the pumpkin is tender (do not overbake). Serve stew from pumpkin, scooping out a little pumpkin with each serving.

BEEF STEW IN A PUMPKIN

Steps:

• Scrub pumpkin well.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in 5 quart casserole over medium heat.
• Add beef in batches to brown on all sides.
• Warm brandy, ignite and pour over beef.
• Transfer meat to platter and set aside.
• In same casserole pot, combine oil, onion, green pepper and garlic, cooking over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add stock and madeira and bring to boil.
• Scrape sides and return meat and juices to pot.
• Stir in tomatoes, salt, oregano, pepper, bay leaf, and cloves.
• Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes.
• Add potatoes and cook 15 minutes more.
• Stir in zucchini and cook 10 minutes more.
• Add corn, apricots and prunes and cook another 5 minutes.
• Keep stew warm on low heat while preparing pumpkin.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cut pumpkin about 3 or 4 inches from top to form a lid and do not remove stem!
• Scrape out seeds and string fibers from lid and base.
• Brush melted margarine inside pumpkin and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
• Replace lid and bake pumpkin in roasting pan about 40 minutes.
• Pour juices from pumpkin into stew and stir well.
• Place stew into pumpkin and bake about 15 minutes longer.