Caldo de Res (Beef Soup)
Stock: 4 lbs. beef shank bones with meat (2kg)
1 onion, peeled
2 whole tomatoes
1 whole head garlic
2 whole serrano chiles
Salt and pepper to taste
Caldo: 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Pinch ground cumin
1 tsp. ground black pepper (4g)
3 tomatoes, cored, seeded and peeled
Fresh soup vegetables:
3 whole chile serrano
4 carrots, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
8 new potatoes, halved
1/2 head cabbage, sliced
3 ears corn, cut into 3 pieces each
1 lb. tatuma or zucchini squash, chopped (500g)
To make the stock: In a 6 quart (6lt.) stock pot, add beef, onion, tomatoes, whole garlic, chiles, and salt. Fill the pot with water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 3 hours. Skim foam off of the surface. Add more water if necessary (about 1 qt/1lt.) if the broth seems too reduced. Remove beef, cut meat from bone and cut the meat into bite sized pieces. Strain out stock vegetables discard. Return bones and meat to the pot.*
To finish the caldo: Add the garlic, cumin and black pepper to stock pot. In a blender, puree tomatoes, using a little beef broth to facilitate blending. Add to the soup pot. Add fresh vegetables, and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. *Once you have made your stock, you can cool it down and store for several days in the refrigerator. It’s convenient to make the broth in advance and have ready.