Carne de Panela (Tender Brazilian Pot Roast)

Ingredients

• Beef for braising (cuts with collagen and a little fat)
• Onion (red or white)
• Carrot
• Celery (for the aromatic base)
• Chopped garlic
• Lard (you can use olive oil or vegetable oil instead)
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• White or red wine (to deglaze)
• Sweet paprika
• Tomato paste (we recommend Compal)
• Potatoes
• Parsley and scallions (to finish)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Water (for cooking)

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Instructions

1. Make the mirepoix: finely chop the onion, carrot and celery. This aromatic base gives depth to the sauce.
2. Sear the beef: in a pot, heat the lard (or your preferred fat). Season the beef with salt and pepper and sear until well browned and caramelized. Remove the beef and set aside.
3. Sauté the vegetables: in the same pot, using the flavor left at the bottom, add the onion, carrot and celery mixture along with the chopped garlic. Sauté well.
4. Make the sauce: return the beef to the pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, deglaze with the wine and stir in the sweet paprika and tomato paste. Mix well and bring to a boil.
5. Slow cook: cover the pot and simmer over low heat for about 1½ to 2 hours. Add water a little at a time, just enough to keep it from drying out, so the beef braises in a rich sauce.
6. Add the potatoes: when the beef is almost tender, add the potatoes. They cook in the broth, absorbing flavor and releasing starch, which makes the sauce even thicker.
7. Finish: once the beef is falling apart, serve with plenty of sauce and potatoes, sprinkled with fresh parsley and scallions.

Tip

• The right cut: for a perfect pot roast, skip lean meat. Tougher, less expensive cuts with collagen are best, because they melt during slow cooking and give a super tender texture.
• The flavor base: the combination of onion, carrot and celery (the classic mirepoix) is the big secret of professional braises. Chopping it very fine helps thicken the sauce without leaving large pieces.
• Patience is the seasoning: a pressure cooker is faster, but slow cooking in a regular pot develops a much richer, deeper flavor, made with love.
• Where to Find the Ingredients
• You will find the best braising cuts, fresh vegetables and authentic products like Compal tomato paste on the Seabra Foods website, through our delivery partners or at one of our 18 stores.
• A Brazilian Tradition
• Carne de panela is synonymous with comfort food and family lunches. That rich, brothy sauce and meat that melts in your mouth bring the true essence of warm, home cooking to your table. Enjoy!
• Follow the step-by-step video