Brazilian Beef Stew in a Pumpkin

[DaveB]

My wife Helen asked me to see if I could track down a recipe she saw some years ago (Probably in the N.Y. Times) but didn't bother saving. It's a Brazilian beef stew cooked, or at least served, in a pumpking shell.

Does anyone have such a recipe on file?

[cape chef]

Hi DaveB,

I'll see what I can come up with
cc

[Kimmie]

BRAZILIAN BEEF STEW
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1 medium onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 pound round steak cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups brewed coffee
1/2 Tsp chopped fresh oregano
1/2 Tsp chopped fresh rosemary
6 medium mushrooms quartered
2 medium carrots cut into thin rounds
black pepper

Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat in Dutch oven or large
sauce pan until soft but not brown. About 10 minutes. Add garlic
and cook 30 seconds. Remove and reserve. Raise heat to medium-high and brown beef cubes. Season with black pepper. Save with onion.

Lower heat to medium and melt margarine in pot and stir in flour
until well-blended. Do not burn. Add wine, coffee and herbs and
stir with whisk until slightly thickened and well mixed. Return
meat and onions to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low
and simmer 35 minutes. Add mushrooms and carrots. Simmer 35
minutes longer. Serve over rice or noodles [or in a pumpkin].

[cape chef]

Geez Kimmie You didn't give me a chance
Dave,
Check out www.cookbrazil.com
They have some good recipes.

Use kimmies stew recipe and use the websites direction for shrimp in squash.
I hope this helps
cc

[Olive Branch]

Here is something really scary to cook in a pumpkin! Clean out the pumpkin and layer in it slices of bread (french, italian, artisanal, NOT WONDER) and shredded Emmenthaler or whatever cheese your suicidal heart desires. Pour in whole milk (I used to use half and half when I was younger and immortal) to cover the layers. Mess around with seasonings to delight your own taste buds (don't forget some freshly grated nutmeg). Bake it with it's own lid, set in a pan for leak containment, for about one and 1/2 hours or until the pumpkin flesh is tender. Make salt and pepper available on the table, with watercress or arugula salad and grilled bread. You will die young but happy!

I serve this to my vegetarian niece and I swear her knees go weak.

Yeah, yeah, it's not beef stew, but I just couldn't help myself...

Love ~ Debbie

[Athenaeus]

Mmmm!
Sounds great! I will make this for dinner!!
I will tell you how it was.

We love pumpkins!

[DaveB]

Thanks, everybody. That's just what I was looking for.

Debie, that bread pudding (?) sounds eqaully wonderful. may try it for a buffet lunch I'm doing in a couple of weeks.

[Isa]

WOW this sounds so good. Wish I had known about it before cooking my pumpkin yesterday. I'll never be able to find one now with Halloween long gone.

[cape chef]

Isa,
You should have no problem still finding pumpkins.
They are still on the market
cc

[Kimmie]

Ah CC,

You were probably busy COOKING!! But thanks for the vote of confidence!

[Kimmie]

and Isa,

You still can find them at Atwater Market.

[Athenaeus]

Dear Kimmie.

Your recipe was great!! I prepared this stew last evening for dinner.
I am going to make it again on week end that we are having some friends.
What makes this stew Brazilian? The coffee maybe?

What would you serve for dessert?
A Panacotta maybe or Ice cream?

[Melina]

For desert make the rose flavoured ice-cream!

[Isa]

Are you sure? What I saw at the market last week wasn't fit for human compsumtion.

[Kimmie]

Isa,

I went Sunday morning, early, and they had beautiful pumpkins.

Athenaeus,

Glad you liked it. One might think that it's the coffee but I really can't answer that. For dessert, how about a platter of cheese and fruit! Ice cream sounds good too!