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4.8 from 96 votes

Portuguese Carne Assada

This Portuguese carne assada from David's VERY Portuguese Mama Leite, is a traditional Azorean braised beef dish made with meltingly tender meat, small red potatoes, chouriço, and onions.

Prep Time
1 hr 10 mins
Total Time
6 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 702 kcal
Course: Main Course

Ingredients

  • 8 garlic cloves crushed and peeled
  • 1 (26-ounce) bottle dry red wine
  • 3 tablespoons double-concentrate tomato paste (or substitute 4 1/2 tablespoons store-bought or homemade tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon chopped oregano leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
  • kosher salt to taste
  • 1 (4-pound) boneless chuck roast tied
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil or more as needed
  • 2 large yellow onions coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 1/2 pounds Portuguese Chouriço linguiça, or dry-cured smoked Spanish chorizo, cut into several pieces
  • 1 1/2 pounds golf-ball size red potatoes peeled (or not!)
  • 1/2 pound baby carrots
  • Chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves for garnish

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large nonreactive bowl, combine the garlic, wine, tomato paste, oregano, bay leaves, both types of paprika, the pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the beef, turn to coat, cover, and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or, preferably, overnight, turning the beef several times.
  2. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and crank the heat to 325°F (163°C).
  3. Remove the bowl from the fridge and transfer the beef and garlic cloves to a plate, reserving the marinade. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season well with salt and pepper.
  4. In an ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the oil. When hot, sear the beef until nicely browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to the plate. Do not wipe out the Dutch oven.
  5. Reduce the heat to medium. If the pot is dry, drizzle in a little more oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes more.
  6. Pour the reserved marinade and water into the pot and bring to a boil. Nestle in the beef, cover tightly, and put it in the oven to braise, turning the meat and basting it every 20 minutes or so, until almost falling apart tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
  7. Add the chouriço, potatoes, and carrots to the Dutch oven and continue to braise the meat, covered, for 30 minutes more.
  8. Transfer the beef to a bowl, ladle some of the cooking liquid over the meat, and cover with foil to keep warm. Bump up the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C), slide the pot back into the oven, and roast the vegetables and sausage in the remaining cooking liquid, uncovered, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife, 15 to 30 minutes more.
  9. Transfer the vegetables and sausage to the bowl with the meat and skim any fat from the sauce in the pot. If the sauce seems too liquidy to form a sauce, place it over medium heat and simmer it until it’s reduced to the desired consistency. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
  10. To serve, slice the chouriço on the diagonal into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces. Center the beef on a platter, remove the string, and arrange the sausage and vegetables around the roast. Ladle a bit of the sauce on top, sprinkle with parsley, and pass the rest of the sauce on the side.

Notes

  • Scaling the recipe--If you are halving the recipe, use the full amount of liquid suggested in the recipe.
  • Potatoes--If your potatoes are larger than 1 1/2 inches, cut them into smaller pieces to ensure that they cook through.
  • Storage--Leftover carne assada can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat or in a 350°F oven until heated through.
  • Dietary--This recipe is suitable for gluten-free and dairy-free diets.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 702kcal (35%) Carbohydrates 21g (7%) Protein 48g (96%) Fat 41g (63%) Saturated Fat 16g (80%) Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 168mg (56%) Sodium 1173mg (49%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 4g (8%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 702

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 702kcal 35%
Carbohydrates 21g 7%
Protein 48g 96%
Fat 41g 63%
Saturated Fat 16g 80%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 168mg 56%
Sodium 1173mg 49%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 4g 8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.