Ingredients
Beef and broth
- 2.5 pounds boneless beef chuck 1.13 kg after trimming large outer fat deposits; cut into 1.5-inch chunks
- 12 cups water 2.84 L, plus hot water as needed
- 1 medium white onion 150 g, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves 12 g, peeled
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons fine salt 12 g, divided; use the second teaspoon only as needed
Vegetables and finishing
- 2 ears corn husked, each cut into 3 segments; about 180 g edible kernels total
- 12 ounces potatoes 340 g, peeled and cut into 1.5-inch pieces
- 10 ounces carrots 280 g, peeled and cut into thick pieces
- 10 ounces green cabbage 280 g, cut into wedges
- 8 ounces zucchini 225 g, cut into thick chunks
- 1/4 cup cilantro 8 g, chopped
- 2 limes cut into wedges; about 60 mL juice
Equipment
- 1 8-quart stockpot with lid
- 1 Knife and cutting board
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Kitchen thermometer
Instructions
- Place chuck, water, onion, garlic and bay leaf in the stockpot. Bring slowly to a simmer, skimming surface foam. Add 1 teaspoon salt.
- Partly cover and simmer gently for 2–2.5 hours, until a fork enters the beef easily. Start checking around 2 hours and continue if needed. Add hot water to keep the beef submerged. Remove bay leaf and onion pieces; skim excess fat.
- Add corn, potatoes and carrots. Simmer for 15–20 minutes until potatoes begin to soften.
- Add cabbage and zucchini and simmer another 10–15 minutes, until tender but intact. Taste and add the reserved salt only as needed.
- Divide beef, corn and vegetables among six bowls. Ladle over broth and serve with cilantro and lime. Corn tortillas or cooked rice are optional accompaniments.
Nutrition
Calories: 500kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 40gFat: 24gFiber: 5g
Video
Notes
Cooking time varies with the beef. Use fork tenderness before adding vegetables; allow additional simmering if needed. Refrigerate within 2 hours in shallow containers, keep at 40°F (4°C) or below for 3–4 days, and reheat to 165°F (74°C). Nutrition is an approximate calculation per one-sixth using raw trimmed chuck and all measured vegetables, cilantro and lime; optional rice, tortillas and salsa are excluded. Fat varies substantially by chuck cut and skimming.
Video credit: Cooking Con Claudia demonstrates caldo de res with chuck plus bones, tomato, bouillon and additional vegetables. This recipe uses boneless chuck only, water and a clear broth, with its own measured yield and seasoning. Follow this card for quantities and timing.