Practical Meat and Vegetable Stew in 1 Pot

To prepare the vegetables, first dice the eggplants into cubes and let them sit in a bowl of salted water for approximately 15 minutes to remove the bitterness. During this time, dice the zucchini, red capya pepper, green pepper, and tomatoes into similar sizes for cooking. Finely chop the dry onions and garlic.

Place a deep pot with a thick base on the stove and heat well over high heat. Add the olive oil to the heated pot and immediately add the beef cubes, which you have drained and dried with paper towels. Sear the meat over high heat for approximately 8-10 minutes until it releases its juices and then pulls them back in.

After the meat is seared, add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the pot just before adding the vegetables to deglaze the delicious caramelized residue formed at the bottom of the pot and to add a deep acidity balance to the dish. Continue to sauté the meat by stirring for approximately 1 minute until the vinegar completely evaporates and is absorbed by the meat.

Add the finely chopped dry onions and garlic to the pot to flavor the meat. Turn the heat down to medium and sauté for approximately 3-4 minutes until the onions soften and become translucent.

Drain the eggplants that were soaking in salted water, rinse them with clean water, dry them, and add them to the pot along with the diced zucchini, capya pepper, and green pepper. Sauté all the ingredients by stirring gently for 5 minutes, taking care not to crush the vegetables.

In the final stage, add the diced tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and thyme to the pot. Add 1.5 cups of hot water and mix the ingredients one last time. Close the lid of the pot tightly and turn down the heat. Leave to cook slowly for approximately 35-40 minutes over low heat until the meat reaches a tender consistency and all the vegetables soften and the flavors meld together. Serve hot.