Green Tomatillo Beef Stew with Beans

Green tomatillo beef stew with jalapeño, cilantro, and beans — the recipe Paula's mom always made for Hector. Comforting, full of flavor, with an optional touch of cream to balance the tang.

1. 1

   Prep the ingredients

   📋 You'll need

   • 8 pieces green tomatillos (husked and rinsed)
   • 2 pieces jalapeño pepper (halved, seeded (optional))
   • 3 cloves garlic cloves (peeled)
   • 1 piece white onion (diced)

   Husk the tomatillos and rinse them well — they're sticky on the outside, that's normal. Dice the onion. Peel the garlic. Halve the jalapeños and remove the seeds if you want less heat.

2. 2

   Blend the green salsa

   📋 You'll need

   • 8 pieces green tomatillos
   • 2 pieces jalapeño pepper
   • 30 g fresh cilantro
   • 3 cloves garlic cloves
   • 1 tsp ground cumin

   Put the raw tomatillos, jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, and cumin in the blender. Blend until you have a smooth green salsa. Don't strain it — the bits give the stew body.

3. 3

   Cut and brown the meat

   📋 You'll need

   • 500 g beef stew meat (in medium chunks)
   • 1 tbsp vegetable oil

   Cut the beef into medium chunks, about large bite-sized pieces. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and brown the meat on all sides, about 5–6 minutes. Get a good sear on the outside.

4. 4

   Sauté the onion

   📋 You'll need

   • 1 piece white onion

   Add the diced onion to the pot with the meat and sauté 2–3 minutes until translucent and fragrant.

5. 5

   Add the green salsa and cook

   📋 You'll need

   • the blended green salsa
   • 1 cup water

   Pour all the blended green salsa over the meat. Add the water. Stir well so the salsa covers all the meat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 40–45 minutes. Stir occasionally. The tomatillos release their juice and the meat gets nice and tender.

6. 6

   Add the beans

   📋 You'll need

   • 1 cup cooked beans (pinto or bayo)

   When the meat is tender, add the drained beans. Cook 10 more minutes on low heat so they absorb all the stew's flavor. Remember she used to add beans? That's right — the beans are part of the stew.

7. 7

   Adjust seasoning and serve

   📋 You'll need

   • salt (to taste)
   • 2 tbsp Mexican cream (Norsuiza or media crema) (optional, to mellow tartness)

   Taste and adjust the salt. If it's too tart from the tomatillo (the green ones are tangy), stir in 1–2 tablespoons of Mexican cream (Norsuiza or media crema) — it mellows the acidity without masking the flavor. Serve piping hot with corn tortillas. Paula used to serve it with green rice and it was perfect.