Outtake of Tesmole Verde by Laurie Smith who will probably chastise me!
Soup-Stew with Vegetables and Herbs (Tesmole verde)
If you've never prepared chayote before, this video shows you how .
Ingredients
- 4 pounds beef shin with marrow bones sawed by the butcher into 2-inch sections
- 2 medium-sized white onions 1 unpeeled
- 7 cloves garlic 4 unpeeled
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 recipe
Corn Masa Dumplings (Bolitas de masa) - 5 large fresh or 10 dried hoja santa leaves
- 1 small bunch of cilantro
- 4 jalapeño chiles
- 1 cup shelled fresh lima beans
- 2 ears of corn fresh or frozen, cut into 2-inch rounds
- ½ pound mature green beans topped and tailed, strings removed if necessary
- 2 chayotes peeled, pitted, and cut lengthwise and cut into 1½-inch slices
- 1 pound zucchini cut into 2-inch wedges
Instructions
- Place the meat in a large saucepan or small stockpot with the unpeeled onion, unpeeled garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste. Add 6-7 cups cold water (or enough to cover the meat) and bring to a boil over high heat. Quickly reduce the heat to maintain a low rolling boil; skim off any froth that rises to the top. Cook, partly covered, until the meat is tender, about 2-2½ hours.
- While the meat is cooking, make the bolitas. Set aside, covered with a damp towel, while you prepare the other ingredients.
- When the meat is tender, lift it out, letting it drain well, and set aside. Strain the stock and return it to the rinsed-out pot; set aside.
- Coarsely chop the remaining onion and garlic cloves. If you are using dried hoja santa, proceed as follows: Purée the onion and garlic in a blender with 6 dried hoja santa leaves, half the cilantro, 2 of the jalapeños, and about 1 cup of the strained stock, or enough to facilitate blending. If using fresh hoja santa, purée in exactly the same way but use 3 hoja santa leaves and the entire bunch of cilantro. (The remaining hoja santa leaves and cilantro (if using dry hoja santa) will be puréed and added to the soup-stew just before serving; see below.) Pour the mixture into the remaining reserved stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Quickly reduce the heat to maintain a low rolling boil. Taste for seasoning and add a pinch or two of salt if desired.
- Return the meat to the soup. Add the lima beans and cook for 3 minutes. Notch a small cross in the tops of the remaining 2 jalapeños and add to the soup along with the corn, green beans, chayotes, and zucchini. Cook for about 7–8 minutes, or until the vegetables are just crisp-tender. Add the bolitas to the soup, and cook just until they float to the top, about 3–5 minutes.
- If using dried hoja santa, place the remaining leaves in the blender with the rest of the cilantro and puree with a tablespoon of stock or water. The remaining fresh hoja santa can be pureed by itself, using just a few tablespoons of stock or water. Stir into the soup and serve immediately.
Notes
VARIATION: Some cooks like to add a bit of a chopped fresh herb such as epazote, cilantro, or hoja santa to the dumplings, either mixing the herb into the dough or firmly pushing a small bit into the indentation.
Nutrition
Calories: 546kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 9gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 418mgPotassium: 634mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 842IUVitamin C: 41mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 4mg