Chile Verde de Res

When I think of Chile Verde, pork is the first thing that comes to mind.  But trying to get away from the oink habit--as of late I have been researching Malaysian muslim recipes and have discovered the wonderful world of beef--I remembered this recipe from a favorite cookbook put out by the now-defunct California Culinary Academy for beef chile verde.
I have never made a thing from the cookbook on Mexican cuisine that I didn't like and this was no exception.  If you ever hit a garage sale where any of their cookbooks are, pick one up!  A few years back when I wanted to replace mine (yes, it's been used a lot and is falling apart) I could only locate them on websites that wanted at least 10 times the original price.

Chile Verde de Res


2 pounds round steak (or rump roast), cut into 1-inch pieces
Flour
3 tablespoons lard or oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 mild green chilies, roasted, peeled and cut into strips or 1 can (7 oz) whole green chilies, rinsed and cut into strips
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup water
Salt to taste

Coat the meat with flour. Heat lard in skillet and brown meat. Do not crowd. Do in batches if necessary.
Add onion, garlic and cook until soft. Add chilies, tomato, oregano and cumin and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring. Slowly add the water, cover and simmer for 1 hours. Check seasoning and add salt if needed..
Serve with rice, beans, tortillas, cheese and sour cream if desired.