Beef Stew de Oaxaca

Sailor determines if the pasila chile is too spicy for his delicate palatte.

Add a variety of dried chile peppers to create a more complex flavor to the stew.

Cinnamon and winter squash add a sweet richness to Beef Stew de Oaxaca.

"Delicious as always, Daddy, and very filling."

One of our fondest travel memories south of the border is the cuisine of Oaxaca, a colonial desert town located a scenic six-hour drive south of Mexico City. Home to more than a dozen versions of mole, this dusty outpost and capital of the Oaxacan state presents visitors with an endless array of less-familiar Mexican specialties. It was here on a forlorn side street, inside a corner bar filled with tequila-guzzling locals, that we first tried the casserole known as chilaquiles, in a vegetarian form and topped with shredded cabbage and diced radishes. Salsas more often than not were based around incendiary dried chiles; others had almonds or walnuts as a soothing base, or even dried fruits stewed with tomatoes and cinnamon. The recipe below is a Cafe Drake invention re-created in the spirit of Oaxaca and its many talented chefs. Measurements are meant as always as guidelines, open to interpretation based on personal tastes. The chiles can be purchased at any Mexican food market and some supermarkets. Cue up the Nortec Collective on the stereo for beat-heavy Latin musical flair, and pour out a Petit Syrah or spicy Shiraz that can stand up to the heat.

BEEF STEW DE OAXACA

2 lbs. cubed beef stew and oil for browning / 1 small can tomato sauce / 1 clove garlic / 1 T. sugar / 1 t. salt / 3 T. vegetable oil / assorted dried chiles, about 1 cup total, soaked to cover in hot water - choose from mulato, serrano, pasila, New Mexico, arbol, ancho etc varieties / 2 cups cubed and peeled butternut squash / 1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder / 1 stick of cinnamon

1. Brown beef in a small amount of oil for 10 minutes or so.
2. Meanwhile, add to blender and pulse until smooth: tomato sauce, garlic, sugar and salt, oil and soaked dried chiles. Add approximately 1/2 cup of chile soaking water and reserve any remaining liquid.
3. Add chile sauce to beef, along with squash, cinnamon and cocoa powder. Stir well, cover and simmer 1-2 hours on low heat. The cooking time will depend on the texture of the beef, the size of pieces etc.
   If the stew begins to dry out, moisten with chile soaking water.
4. Season to taste with salt and serve hot with rice, warmed tortillas or pozole.