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Colombian Savory-Sweet Braised Beef (Fast & Slow)
This classic coastal Colombian dish, called posta negra, is made by braising beef in a flavorful liquid seasoned with panela (raw cane sugar) and spices. We use a beef chuck roast, divide it into three pieces along its natural seams, trim it well (it's a fat-rich cut), then tie each piece with kitchen twine. This ensures the meat cooks evenly and as quickly as possible. In Colombia, the dish might be served with fried plantains, yucca fritters and a simple salad; we liked it with an easy pico de gallo and/or mashed potatoes.
4 to 6
Servings
Don't forget to scrape the underside of the strainer after pressing on the solids with a spatula. The thick pulp tends to cling to the mesh; scraping ensures you collect as much of it as possible so the sauce has the correct consistency and flavor.
FAST: 2¼ hours
Slow: 10 to 11 hours
45 minutes active
Ingredients
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4½ -5
pound boneless beef chuck roast, pulled apart at the natural seams into 3 pieces, trimmed, each piece tied at 1-inch intervals
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Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Directions
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01Season the beef on all sides with salt and pepper. In a 6-quart Instant Pot, select More/High Sauté. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is well browned, about 9 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to brown, about 1 minute. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, allspice and 1 teaspoon pepper, then add the wine, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, prunes and 1 cup water. Nestle the beef in the pot.
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This makes a sweet, BBQ-like sauce.