Forget Carne Asada: The Heartier Beef Alternative Packed With Tender, Flavorful Bites

There is a reason that carne asada is as ubiquitous as it is. It's a great food. It doesn't matter whether we're talking about serving it chopped small and wrapped in a warm tortilla, or sliced and alongside rice and beans, it's delicious. But it's also about to be erased from your kitchen. Once you try your first bite of carne guisada, its tender, fragrant, stewed cousin, you might just never go back.

Technically, "carne guisada" simply translates to "stewed meat," and there are a number of different variations of this dish in Spain, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, and other hispanic cultures. What we're talking about here, however, is the style that is essentially Mexican beef stew. It is made similarly to other stews, with tough, collagen-rich meat being cooked down alongside vegetables and spices until each bite is nice and tender, floating in a rich gravy.

That long cook ensures that the meat is juicy and flavorful, and also fills out the plate with slow-simmered vegetables, but the biggest advantage of carne guisada might be the price. The best cuts of meat for carne asada are often considered to be flank or skirt steak, both of which carry a much larger price tag than the humbler cuts that are typically reserved for stewing. The cooking process may take a bit longer, but filling tacos with the tender, rich beef of carne guisada while also saving a bit of money feels like a real win.

As for how to dish up that lovely Mexican stewed beef, you have plenty of options. It can fill the role of carne asada without any real changes, though the gravy does mean that it comes with some extra moisture. That said, it's perfect for filling tacos or wrapping up inside a burrito. The best taco recipes often don't call for much more than meat, tortilla, some onion and cilantro, and maybe a splash of hot sauce, so saucy and seasoned carne guisada is a good fit here. Feel free to treat it like you would any other taco meat, topping with pico de gallo, cotija, avocado, and the rest.

Alternatively, carne guisada can be served as is. Unlike asada, which is a bit plain on its own, the onions, peppers, and potatoes present in carne guisada (as well as the aromatic cumin and oregano) means that it makes a great plate all by itself. Just like with any other stew, though, some additional carbs can be nice to soak up the gravy and stretch out the meal a bit. A couple scoops of white or Mexican rice at the bottom of a bowl is plenty of accompaniment, though some of those same taco toppings sprinkled over the top wouldn't go awry either.

The next time that you get a hankering for beef tacos, it's time to put aside that old asada recipe and try something new. Particularly in the cooler months, when a pot simmering on the stove fills the whole house with comforting warmth and aroma, this carne guisada recipe is exactly what you need.