Name: Seco de res
Prep time: 28 min
Cook time: 142 min
Total time: 170 min
Cuisine: Peruvian cuisine
Ingredients: 900 g boneless beef shoulder, cut in 5 cm chunks, excess external fat trimmed. Collagen-rich cut for long simmer; 100 g fresh culantro coriander, washed leaves and tender stems. Blend for green sauce; 65 g ají amarillo paste, deseeded chilli paste. Cook with onion; 180 g red onion, finely diced. Aromatic base; 14 g garlic, minced. Base; 330 ml dark beer, measured. Braising liquid; contains alcohol and barley gluten; 550 ml unsalted beef stock, measured. 350 ml blended with culantro, 200 ml to braise; 35 ml vegetable oil, measured. For beef browning and base; 3 g fine salt, measured. Season beef and sauce; 1 g ground cumin, measured. Base seasoning; 400 g yellow potatoes, peeled, cut into 4 cm pieces. Added late; 170 g shelled green peas, fresh or thawed. Added late

Yield 4 portions

Prep time 28 minutes

Cook time 142 minutes

Passive time 0 minutes

Total time 170 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Seco de res — Peruvian home recipe

Peruvian seco de res is a braised beef dish whose green colour and herbal character come from a considerable quantity of fresh culantro (coriander leaves and tender stems). Ají amarillo adds another level of flavour, while the long moist cooking softens a relatively firm cut of beef. A seco is a sauced stew, not dry-cooked beef despite the name.

The order of cooking matters. Browning the meat first builds a savoury base; the onion and chilli then cook in the same pot before the green herbs and liquid go in. The braise needs only a quiet bubble. Hard boiling squeezes the meat and reduces the sauce before the shoulder becomes tender.

Peruvian households use different braising liquids, including chicha de jora and beer. This preparation uses measured dark beer and beef stock, a documented variant rather than an exclusive origin formula. Potato and peas go in near the end so the beef can finish softening without their disintegrating.

Ingredients

Beef and green braise

900 g boneless beef shoulder, cut in 5 cm chunks, excess external fat trimmed. Collagen-rich cut for long simmer
100 g fresh culantro coriander, washed leaves and tender stems. Blend for green sauce
65 g ají amarillo paste, deseeded chilli paste. Cook with onion
180 g red onion, finely diced. Aromatic base
14 g garlic, minced. Base
330 ml dark beer, measured. Braising liquid; contains alcohol and barley gluten
550 ml unsalted beef stock, measured. 350 ml blended with culantro, 200 ml to braise
35 ml vegetable oil, measured. For beef browning and base
3 g fine salt, measured. Season beef and sauce
1 g ground cumin, measured. Base seasoning

Vegetable finish

400 g yellow potatoes, peeled, cut into 4 cm pieces. Added late
170 g shelled green peas, fresh or thawed. Added late

Method

Blend the green herb mixture.Blend the 100 g washed culantro with 350 ml of the unsalted beef stock until smooth and bright green. Keep the remaining stock measured separately. The blended liquid is evenly green with no large herb stalk fragments.
Brown the beef in two rounds.Heat 25 ml of the vegetable oil in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Sear half the 900 g beef for 5 minutes, then repeat with the second half for another 5 minutes; remove both batches. The pieces have browned edges and the pot has a savoury fond without black patches.
Cook the onion and chilli base.Reduce to medium, add the remaining 10 ml oil with 180 g red onion and cook for 6 minutes. Add 14 g garlic, 65 g ají amarillo paste, 1 g cumin and 3 g salt, then cook for 4 minutes. The onion is soft and the ají smells rounded rather than harsh.
Start the slow green braise.Pour in all 330 ml dark beer, scrape up the browned base, and return the beef to the casserole. Add the blended culantro stock plus the remaining 200 ml stock; cover and lower to a gentle simmer. The beef is mostly surrounded by green liquid and only small bubbles break the surface.
Braise until genuinely tender.Cook covered at a gentle simmer for 95 minutes, turning beef pieces once and checking that the pot has not boiled dry. Measure a thick piece with a thermometer. A fork enters the beef with little resistance and the sauce is aromatic and green-brown. Whole beef pieces must reach 63 °C and rest for at least 3 minutes; braise longer for tenderness.
Add the potatoes and peas.Add 400 g yellow potato pieces to the gently simmering beef and cook for 12 minutes; stir in 170 g peas and cook for 5 more minutes, uncovered if the sauce is too loose. The potatoes are tender but intact and the peas are cooked while the sauce lightly coats the meat.
Ladle the seco with its sauce.Divide the tender beef, potatoes, peas and green sauce evenly between four warm shallow bowls. The sauce clings to the shoulder pieces without becoming watery or completely dry.

Practical

Success points

The fork-tender texture is a quality target beyond the meat’s minimum safety temperature. Add potato and peas in the final stage so they keep their shape.

Practical guidance

The sauce may darken during a long braise; the herbal aroma matters more than a bright final green colour. If a stovetop burner runs hot, use a heat diffuser and turn the flame down rather than opening the lid repeatedly. Chicha de jora is another documented braising liquid, but its acidity and flavour are not the same as the stated dark-beer formula. Cooked leftovers can be refrigerated in shallow containers within 2 hours, kept at 4 °C or colder for 3–4 days and reheated until the centre is 74 °C. The sauce may be thicker after chilling; warm gently while stirring.

Control points

Beef remains toughThe shoulder has not simmered long enough. Continue gentle moist cooking rather than raising the heat sharply.
Green sauce turns bitterThe herb-and-chilli base has scorched or reduced too far. Use a lower simmer and prevent sticking at the pot base.

Nutrition per serving (estimated)

Serving size1 of 4 equal plated portions
Calories696 kcal
Carbohydrate35 g
Protein53 g
Fat36 g
Fibre7 g
Sodium570 mg

Allergens and food safety

Barley gluten may be present in the dark beer; check bottled stock and ají paste labels. Contains alcohol used during braising, which is not guaranteed to evaporate completely. Maintain separation between raw meat or fish, clean equipment and ready-to-eat ingredients; wash hands and tools after contact with raw animal food. Chill perishable food promptly in shallow covered containers at 4 °C or below and within 2 hours; avoid prolonged room-temperature standing. Cooked leftovers, when permitted by the recipe-specific guidance, must be reheated to 74 °C. Whole beef pieces must reach 63 °C and rest for at least 3 minutes; braise longer for tenderness.

Closing

Result: Beef shoulder becomes fork-tender in a slow green culantro-and-ají sauce, with potato and peas added late enough to keep their shape.
Decisive control: The fork-tender texture is a quality target beyond the meat’s minimum safety temperature.