Colombian National Dishes

Carne sudada

Tender Colombian beef stew with yuca, red potatoes and hogao, served with white rice

Colombian National Dishes
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Colombian beef stew with yuca, red potatoes and hogao, served with white rice.
Region Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Category Braised beef main course
Yield 8 portions
Active time 30 minutes
Cooking time 95 minutes
Ingredients ↓
Overview

Carne sudada

Valle del Cauca beef, yuca and red potatoes gently stewed in hogao.

Carne sudada is a homestyle beef stew associated with Valle del Cauca. Beef is browned first, then covered and cooked with hogao until it softens. Yuca and red potatoes join later so they become tender without dissolving into the sauce.

The name describes covered, moist cooking that lets the beef and vegetables release juices into the pot. Hogao brings tomato and scallion sweetness, while marjoram, thyme and oregano add a quiet herbal note. A little breadcrumb can tighten the sauce if it remains thin.

This measured version serves eight with plain white rice. A well-marbled stew cut gives a tender texture after the long simmer; top round is leaner and may need extra time. Keep the heat at a gentle simmer and let tenderness, not the clock alone, guide the finish.

Ingredients

Ingredients

Beef and stew

  • 1.5 kg boneless beef top round or shoulder stew meat, cut into 4 cm chunks
  • 30 ml neutral oil
  • 250 g prepared hogao, about 1 cup
  • 720 ml water for the stew
  • 500 g yuca, peeled and cut into 5 cm pieces
  • 500 g red potatoes, scrubbed and halved
  • 1 g dried marjoram, about 1/2 teaspoon
  • 1 g dried thyme, about 1/2 teaspoon
  • 1 g dried oregano, about 1/2 teaspoon
  • 12 g fine salt, divided
  • 2 g ground black pepper
  • 55 g plain breadcrumbs, about 1/2 cup, only if needed

Rice

  • 400 g long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 800 ml water for the rice
Method

Method

Method

  1. Brown the beef Pat the beef dry. Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season with 8 g salt and brown the beef in batches, turning to color every side. Transfer batches to a plate; avoid crowding, which makes the meat steam.

  2. Start the covered stew Return beef and juices to the pot. Stir in hogao and 720 ml water. Bring just to a boil, cover tightly, then lower heat to a steady gentle simmer. Cook 60 minutes, turning the pieces once or twice. Add a splash of water if the pot looks dry.

  3. Add roots and herbs Stir in yuca, potatoes, marjoram, thyme, oregano, remaining 4 g salt and pepper. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes, until a knife enters the yuca easily and the beef is fork-tender. Check the largest intact piece reaches at least 62.8°C; let it rest 3 minutes before serving.

  4. Cook the rice While the stew finishes, combine rinsed rice and 800 ml water in a lidded saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over low heat for 15–18 minutes, until water is absorbed. Turn off heat and leave covered 5 minutes, then fluff.

  5. Adjust and serve If the sauce is thin, stir in breadcrumbs a spoonful at a time and simmer 2–3 minutes; use only what is needed. Let the stew stand briefly, then serve beef, yuca and potatoes with sauce and white rice. Keep raw-meat utensils away from cooked food.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Rounded estimate based on ingredient weights and prepared hogao, oil, breadcrumbs and salt. Beef cut, hogao recipe and thickener amount change the result.

Equipment

Heavy lidded stew pot, lidded saucepan for rice, tongs, wooden spoon, knife, cutting board and instant-read thermometer.

Practical guidance

1. Cut beef and roots into similar-size pieces so they soften evenly. If yuca is especially thick, split each piece lengthwise; remove any tough central fibre after cooking. 2. Brown meat in two or three batches. A crowded pot releases moisture and prevents browning, so let the pot heat again between batches. 3. Keep the covered pot at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil. Check every 15 minutes and add a little hot water if the base is nearly dry. 4. Hogao recipes vary in salt and oil. Taste before adding extra salt, and add breadcrumbs gradually because they thicken further as the stew rests. 5. Make the stew a day ahead if convenient; cool promptly in shallow containers. Reheat gently with a splash of water, then cook rice fresh.

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat when standard breadcrumbs are used; omit them or use certified gluten-free crumbs if needed. Check prepared hogao labels. Keep raw beef chilled and separate. Refrigerate stew and rice within 2 hours; use within 3–4 days or freeze, and reheat leftovers to 73.9°C.

Final notes

1: Let the sauce stay loose enough to coat the yuca, potatoes and beef. 2: Serve with freshly cooked white rice to catch the hogao-rich juices.

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

  • Serving basis: One of eight servings: about 187.5 g raw beef, 62.5 g yuca, 62.5 g potato and 50 g dry rice, with sauce.
  • Calories: 690 kcal
  • Carbohydrate: 82 g
  • Protein: 47 g
  • Fat: 17 g
  • Fibre: 4 g
  • Sodium: 710 mg
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