Beef Steaks With Tomatoes Que Rica Vida

Costa Rican Carne en Salsa Recipe

• February 22, 2021
• Christa Jimenez

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Costa Rican carne en salsa is a braised flank steak mixed with a sweet and tangy tomato sauce and served with white rice or as part of a Costa Rican casado.

There is really nothing that I love more than a great carne en salsa from Costa Rica- especially served with Costa Rican white rice.

I spent many years living in San Ramon, and they celebrate Saint Raymond Day in the two weeks leading up to his feast day on August 31. There are processions, an ox cart parade and street food vendors everywhere.

The celebration is also a church fundraiser and women from all around the area donate their time to make classic Costa Rican dishes in the turnos- or small food stalls. This carne en salsa recipe (along with estofado, olla carne, arroz con pollo and homemade tortillas) is sold by the ton becuase it's the best eating of the year. (I'm salivating just thinking about it!)

This is Saint Raymond, the patron saint of San Ramón, as he parades through town on August 31, his feast day.

Since it isn't exactly practical for me to fly to Costa Rica every time I'm craving shredded beef in red sauce, I finally got a tutorial from my husband's uncle on how to make an authentic carne en salsa just like you can find in Costa Rica. (Tio William is also the one who taught us how to make traditional pork tamales).

Carne en salsa Recipe

(Printable recipe below)

Ingredients

• flank steak
• beef broth
• canned diced tomato (or fresh tomatoes)
• white onion
• cilantro
• garlic
• ketchup
• soy sauce
• Salsa Lizano (optional)
• sugar
• salt

Instructions

Prepare and shred the meat according to the recipe here. You can do this several days in advance or right before making the carne en salsa sauce. I like to make half the meat for this recipe and the ther half to use for shredded beef empanadas.

Place all ingredients (except the shredded meat!) in the blender and liquefy. If you are not getting a smooth enough consistency, add a bit more broth.

Heat the sauce in a large saucepan on medium until simmering. Stir in the shredded beef and bring to a low boil. I then taste the meat with sauce to see how it is, and add salt or sugar accordingly.

Substitutions

If you don't have canned or fresh tomatoes on hand, about two cups of tomato sauce will have a similar effect.

You can make this dish with shredded chicken as well.

If you can't get the Salsa Lizano you can use Worchestershire sauce.

Variations

A similar version of this dish is made with ox tail- estofado.

You will often find that traditional Costa Rican nachos use this recipe along with a meltable white cheese on top of freshly fried corn tortillas for nachos. It's delish.

The shredded beef on it's own is used for empanadas and also a nice sustancia de carne- or we serve it with it's broth for a light shredded beef soup.

Serving Suggestions

This dish will often be served as a light soup with traditional Costa Rican white rice at the bottom of the bowl or on the side.

You will also find this on top of a homemade corn tortilla for a gallo de carne en salsa.

We eat this dish for breakfast alongside gallo pinto, fried eggs, cheese and avocado.

As a lunch item, this carne en salsa is my favorite protein in the Costa Rican casado.

Leftover carne en salsa is often made into a Costa Rican sandwich- fresh French baguette filled with meat, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mayonnaise and white cheese.

Related post: Big List Of Delicious Recipes Served With White Rice

FAQ

What beef is best for shredding?

I like flank steak, but chuck roast is an ok alternative. I would exercise caution when it comes to round and rump roasts, as those tend to be tougher and require more cooking. The best rule of thumb when it comes to selecting a cut for easily shred-able meat is to look for fat marbling. The higher the fat content, the more tender and juicy the beef.

What is "Ragu"?

Ragu is very similar to what we're making here– traditionally used as an Italian pasta sauce, it's made out of finely chopped meat, vegetables and tomato sauce.

Printable Recipe

Yield: 6-8 servings

Costa Rican Carne en Salsa

Costa Rican carne en salsa is a braised flank steak mixed with a sweet and tangy tomato sauce and served with white rice or as part of a Costa Rican casado.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 lbs flank steak
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 14 oz cans diced tomato or the equivalent of fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 white onion, quartered
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 TB ketchup
• 3 TB soy sauce
• 3 TB Salsa Lizano (optional)
• 1 TB sugar
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare and shred the meat according to the recipe here. You can do this several days in advance or right before making the carne en salsa sauce. I like to make half the meat for this recipe and the other half to use for shredded beef empanadas.
2. Place all ingredients (except the shredded meat!) in the blender and liquefy. If you are not getting a smooth enough consistency, add a bit more broth.
3. Heat the sauce in a large saucepan on medium until simmering.
4. Stir in the shredded beef and bring to a low boil.
5. I then taste the meat with sauce to see how it is, and add salt or sugar accordingly.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 

  Salsa Lizano

• 

  Instant Pot

• 

  Blender

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 270 Total Fat: 10g Saturated Fat: 4g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 90mg Sodium: 819mg Carbohydrates: 11g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 7g Protein: 34g

Please double-check this information with your favorite nutrition calculator.

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About the Author

Hi- I'm Christa! I fell in love with Latin America in my 20s, and I'm still head over heels! Here at Pura Vida Moms I celebrate what it means to be bicultural- Costa Rican recipes, bilingual parenting and family travel.

Follow her at: Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest.

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