Recipes

Pumpkin Stew

By: The Local Palate

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Words and Recipe by Vishwesh Bhatt

Cooking pumpkins are available if you look, and they have marvelous names like Fairytale, Cinderella, Casper, Cherokee Bush, and of course, Dutch Fork or Creole. Serve this with a nice crusty bread or corn tortillas and a salad with toasted pecans and cranberries for a perfect fall supper.

recipe

yields

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients for the pumpkin stew:

2 pounds beef chuck roast or brisket, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt
⅓ cup neutral oil, divided2 large yellow onions, diced
2 medium red bell peppers, diced
8 garlic cloves, sliced thin
⅓ cup tomato paste
1 cup tomato puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons toasted and crushed cumin seeds
2 tablespoons toasted and crushed coriander seeds
4 pounds cooking pumpkin, peeled and diced into 2-inch chunks
⅓ cup guajillo or New Mexico chili powder
3 chipotles en adobo, chopped
1 tablespoon black pepper
12 cups good-quality, low-sodium beef stock
½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish
½ cup chopped cilantro for garnish
Crumbled goat cheese for garnish (optional)

steps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season beef with 1 tablespoon salt and set aside for 20 minutes.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot with a lid over medium-high heat. Sear beef in three batches until pieces are all evenly browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer beef to a platter; set aside.
In the same pot, add remaining oil, reduce heat to medium, and sauté onion until golden brown. Add bell pepper, garlic, and tomato paste. Cook until paste turns very dark, almost black. Add tomato puree and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and ½ cup water. Simmer until you have a fragrant, thick paste.
Now, stir in pumpkin, chili powder, chipotles, black pepper, and stock. Bring everything to a simmer. Add seared beef and remaining salt. Stir. Cover tightly and put the whole thing in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
After the hour is up, turn off heat and let your stew rest in the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the pot from the oven; it will still be hot. Ladle stew into bowls and garnish with pumpkin seeds, cilantro, and goat cheese if using.

Date Published: 09.21.26