Spanish Stew with Roasted Peppers (Chilindron) Recipe

A Spanish stew called “Chilindron” – that’s pronounced [chill-in-DRONE] – pungent with onions and roasted red peppers. And yes, there’s that color, that gorgeous dark-red color, that emerges as the braising liquid cooks down in the oven, leaving the meat cloaked in a flavor-packed sauce.

Real Food, Fresh & Filling. A One-Pot Meal, Weekend Special. Low Carb. Weight Watchers Friendly. Naturally Gluten Free.

~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~

So Who Needs a New Stew Recipe?

Not you? Me either. Because really, just how many stew recipes does one cook need?

You already have your favorites, right? I do too: the Recipe Box here is already fat with long-time go-to recipes, all a little bit different.

• A beef stew with mushrooms.
• And a beef stew with carrots and potatoes for St. Patrick’s Day.
• And another still, a Scandinavian beef stew with cranberries that especially fits the weeks before and after Christmas.
• There’s even a stew with summer sausage and zucchini.
• And of course, my go-to Master Recipe for stew, the ever-so versatile Winter Stew that “just works” no matter what meat or vegetables or fruit you happen to throw into the pot.

That list? It's just the stew recipes for beef!

But Then Again?

Enter Hank Shaw – he’s the James Beard award-winning writer who blogs at Hunter+Angler+Gardener+Cook.

Hank posted a recipe on Facebook for an any-meat stew with roasted peppers and instantly, I was smitten. Was it the mysterious dark-red color that so captivated? Perhaps.

Now recipes grab me a lot – five to fifty times a day – I’m fickle this way. But this time, my affection persisted and two days later, I thawed some meat and began to closely follow Hank’s recipe.

And now this is weird! It turns out that Hank was actually right here in St. Louis on his book tour that night – that very same night!

And weirder still? Our good friends Ren&eaccent; and George were sitting with him at dinner! If I’d only known, we’d have been there too!

Instead, we enjoyed Hank’s “company” by virtue of his stew recipe – and enjoy we certainly did, every single bite.

And What a Stew ...

Hank’s stew is a Spanish stew called “Chilindron” – he says that’s pronounced [chill-in-DRONE] – and it’s pungent with onions and roasted red peppers.

And yes, there’s that color, that gorgeous dark-red color, that emerges as the braising liquid cooks down in the oven, leaving the meat cloaked in a flavor-packed sauce.

So now I know: I did indeed need one more stew recipe. You just might too!

Chilindron's Mysterious Dark-Red Color

Chilidron's gorgeous dark-red color emerges as the braising liquid cooks down in the oven, leaving the meat cloaked in a flavor-packed sauce. It can turn a little "one-color brown" while it cooks so I brighten it back the color back up with a few more roasted peppers stirred in just before serving. Don't forget the mashed potatoes, you want to sop up that sauce!

If you’re intrigued by this recipe, you’ll want to check out Hank Shaw's cookbooks (affiliate link).

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How do you save and share favorite recipes? recipes that fit your personal cooking style? a particular recipe your mom or daughter or best friend would just love? If this recipe mahogany-colored stew hits the mark, go ahead, save and share! I'd be honored ...

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SPANISH STEW with ROASTED RED PEPPERS (CHILINDRON)

Hands-on time: 45 minutes plus occasional attention throughout
Time to table: May vary, depending on your meat, from 3 – 6 hours
Makes 10 cups

MUSHROOMS
• 2 – 3 dried mushrooms, optional but excellent

MEAT
• 2 – 3 pounds stew or game meat – lamb, beef, venison, elk
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

FLAVOR BOOSTERS
• 2 onions, sliced in half moons
• A little salt
• 10 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cured meat such as cooked bacon, ham, pancetta, etc.
• Chopped Hydrated Mushrooms

BRAISING LIQUID
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 15 ounces canned diced tomatoes
• 15 ounces jarred roasted red peppers, drained and chopped (if you like, save some to stir in just before serving)
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika (our choice) or hot paprika (Hank’s choice)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Browned Meat
• Mushroom Soaking Liquid and/or good stock

BEFORE SERVING
• Roasted red pepper, chopped, for fresh color
• Fresh parsley, for garnish

Heat the oven to 250F/120C.

MUSHROOMS Soak the mushrooms in hot water until they're fully hydrated, plump and soft, then chop finely. Hang onto the soaking liquid, we’ll use it later!

MEAT Slice the meat into bite-size pieces (see TIPS). Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and let rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy Dutch oven or braising pan with a cover until shimmery, add the meat in batches to avoid crowding and brown on all sides. Set the meat aside.

FLAVOR BOOSTERS In the same dish, add the onions, sprinkle with salt and let cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown – if needed to avoid burning or adding extra fat, “deglaze” the pan with a splash of the mushroom Soaking Liquid. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two. Stir in the cured meat and chopped mushrooms.

BRAISING LIQUID Add the wine and turn up the heat to boil hard, letting the wine reduce by half. Watch carefully, you don’t want to burn this, it’ll move quickly toward the end.

Add the tomatoes, roasted peppers, both paprikas, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Stir in the Browned Meat. Add enough mushroom Soaking Liquid and/or good stock so that it comes up about 2/3 of the height of the meat pieces.

Bring the liquid to a boil, just to bring the whole mixture up to temperature before going in the oven.

THEN THREE HOURS IN THE OVEN Cover and place in the oven for about 1 hour. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the meat is fully cooked and tender, uncover and continue to cook, checking every half hour, until the liquid has mostly evaporated, leaving a thick, pungent roasted red pepper sauce, about another 2 hours.

TO HOLD Once the liquid reaches the thickness you prefer, put the cover back on, reduce the oven temperature to 180F/80C and hold until ready to serve.

TO SERVE Just before serving, stir in a last roasted red pepper and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes or polenta or the like, something to mop up that gorgeous dark-red sauce.

ALANNA’s TIPS A mix of meats seems like a particularly good choice for this dish, we used both beef and lamb. When cutting the meat into bite-size pieces, bear in mind that the pieces will shrink in size while cooking. Why don’t we “crowd” meat pieces when browning them? First it keeps the pan hot, this lets the outside edges sear (turn brown with a light crust), holding in the meat juices. Otherwise the meat juices pour out and the meat “boils” instead of “browns”. Look for roasted peppers for a good price at Trader Joe’s. Or if you like, roast your own, either in the oven or on a gas stove. I couldn’t help myself and just threw in the liquid from the roasted peppers too. We served the stew with the low-carb Mashed Cauliflower that are made not with potatoes but cauliflower and turnips. But really, there’s nothing like real mashed potatoes to really soak up meat sauces, is there? Next time, we’ll indulge in the real thing, this Spanish Stew with Roasted Peppers, this Spanish Chilindron, is worth it. Now that I’ve followed Hank’s recipe closely once, my mind is brimming with ideas, all based on the idea of a meat and chili stew. I’d love to try roasted poblanos, maybe even a tiny smidgin of chipotle in adobo sauce, also some small pieces of butternut squash or carrot or turnip. Somehow olives are calling too!

FOR MORE INFO If you "skipped straight to the recipe," please scroll back to the top of this page for ingredient information, ingredient substitutions, tips and more. If you print this recipe, you'll want to check the recipe online for even more tips and extra information about ingredient substitutions, best results and more. See https://www.kitchenparade.com/2013/12/spanish-stew-with-roasted-peppers.html .

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Cup: 292 Calories; 9g Tot Fat; 3g Sat Fat; 88mg Cholesterol; 212mg Sodium; 9g Carb; 2g Fiber; 3g Sugar; 38g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 6 & PointsPlus 7 & SmartPoints 6 & Freestyle 5 & myWW green 5 & blue 5 & purple 5 & future WW points CALORIE COUNTERS 100-Calorie Serving = 1/3 cup.

Adapted from Spanish Chilidron Stew from Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook.

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Seasonal Cooking: Early Winter Across the Years

Three Quick Appetizers Sweet 'n' Hot Chicken At Last! Black Bean Soup Date-Night Chicken Cranberry Pudding Cranberry Apple Crisp Squash & Carrot Stew My Best & Favorite One-Pot Supper Recipes Elk Meatloaf Spanish Stew with Roasted Pepper (Chilindron)

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How About Just One More Stew Recipe?!

more
~ My Best & Favorite One-Pot Supper Recipes ~
~ more stew recipes ~

• THE RECIPE Winter Stew A master recipe, cook with confidence, no recipe required.
• ANOTHER TAKE Beef & Mushroom Stew On the table and flavorful within an hour.

• THE RECIPE Chicken Stew with Chickpeas & Kale A hearty, one-pot supper with warm spices and fresh vegetables.
• ANOTHER TAKE Spiced Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower Tagine A one-pot supper with warm spices.

• THE RECIPE Fall Stew Baked in a Whole Pumpkin A whole pumpkin filled with a tomatillo-hominy stew.
• ANOTHER TAKE Winter Stew A master recipe, cook with confidence, no recipe required.

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(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ mushroom recipes ~
~ beef recipes ~
~ bell pepper recipes ~
~ tomato recipes ~

~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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