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Lola from Lola's Cocina

Original Blog & Recipe by
Dolores “Lola” Dweck

Dolores “Lola” Dweck is the founder and publisher of Lola’s Cocina, a food and travel blog dedicated to sharing Mexico’s rich culinary traditions and cherished family recipes. She teaches themed cooking classes and recently launched Lola’s Mercadito, an online marketplace specializing in gourmet and artisan goods that celebrate Mexican food and culture.

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Papas con Carne de Cachete

Many thanks to Rumba Meatsand #WeAllGrow Latina Networkfor sponsoring this post; recipe and opinions are my own.

With all of the buzz surrounding the world soccer tournaments, and more importantly, how equipo Méxicois still in it to win it, I find myself inspired to make delicious platillosfor the next watch party. Since we have to adapt to different time zones for the global games I must also be conscious of my fiestamenu for some of these early morning matches. Fortunately, my great grandma Angie handed down her recipe for papas con carne, which is timeless and can be served morning, noon, or night.That’s the great thing about Mexican breakfast – it knows no time constraints so regardless of when you’re watching the games, this dish can work.

One of the things I love about soccer is how it brings people together from all over the world and all facets of life, to support their favorite team. In our family, summer fútbolis a celebration of heritage, familia, andcomida.And since we’re always looking for an excuse to entertain, it provides us with the perfect reason to gather around food while enjoying the partidos.

As with any Mexican fiestathat I host, I am used to preparing food for at least 25 people since our tribe is so large. I understand that for some people, hosting groups of even five can be intimidating, which is why this week I’m sharing a cherished family recipe that can be made in a large batch to eliminate some of the stresses associated with cooking for the masses.

We grew up eating papas con carnefor breakfast with tortillas and frijolitosor wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla, to-go. While Grandma Angie’s original recipe calls for sirloin steak, I’ve been experimenting with different cuts of meat and found that cachete de res(beef cheek meat) also works well because it lends itself to slow cooking or braising. The longer cooking process allows for the medley of flavors to meld together and create a dish that is delicioso. ¡Buen provecho y buena suerte, Mexico! Be sure to check out @lolascocinaon Instagram for a fútbol-themed giveaway.

PAPAS CON CARNE DE CACHETE Ingredients

 

PAPAS CON CARNE DE CACHETE Prepared

Ingredients

  • Rumba Meats® Beef Cheek Meat (3 pounds)
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 3 pounds potatoes, diced into 1-inch cubes
  • ½ onion sliced into half rings
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 (14-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Slice beef cheekmeat into 2-inch cubes.
  2. Heat oil in a large, deep heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add beef cheekmeat to hot oil and brown evenly on all sides.
  3. Add onion and garlic; cook until onions are translucent., stirring occasionally. Add potatoes and continue cooking. Using hands, break up and squeeze the whole tomatoes into the mixture before adding the rest of the juice from can. Season with salt.
  4. Cover and cook for 1½ hours, turning every 15 minutes with a spatula, until potatoes and meat are tender and cheekmeat reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF.
  5. Serve with warm flour or corn tortillas, a fresh pot of beans, and your favorite salsa, if desired.