Indio Viejo
(EEN-DEE-O VEE-A-HO)
Ingredients
1lb of thick chunks stewing beef or beef brisket
1 cup of pretreated corn flour (masa)
2 large onions
1 small garlic head
1 sour orange (if it’s not sour, mix it with lemon)
2 lemons
1 chiltoma or red pepper
3 tomatoes
A sprig of spearmint or mint
Achiote (anatto)
Salt
Instructions
Step 1
Put the meat in the boiling water, making sure to remove the foam that will form at the top.
Step 2
Chop the onion, garlic, red pepper (make sure to remove the seeds), and tomato. Add half of these veggies to the boiling water until the meat is cooked.
Step 3
Blend the other half of the vegetables, except for the garlic.
Step 4
If you don’t have a sour orange, squeeze the juice from one orange into a small glass and mix in some lemon juice. Then add half a glass to the blender.
Step 5
Add a little of the meat broth and blend everything until it turns watery.
Step 6
Mix this veggie juice with the flour and the achiote and stir by hand until you get a batter without lumps. Put it aside and save for later.
Step 7
Take the cooled down meat out of the pot and pull it apart into thin strips.
Step 8
In a frying pan with two tablespoons of oil, sauté half a chopped onion. When it is golden, add a tomato, chopped into large pieces.
Step 9
Lower the heat to medium, add the meat and veggie/flour batter, and stir constantly so it doesn’t stick, for about 10 minutes.
Serve in a deep dish garnished with mint or spearmint leaves.