Asado Negro

A comforting Venezuelan roast caramelized in piloncillo and simmered in red wine, herbs and vegetables.

Prep Time20

Cook Time4 30

Chilling Time4

Total Time8 50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Latin, South American, Venezuelan

Servings: 8

4-5 pounds of eye of round beef roast, mostly trimmed (leave just a little fat)
2 cups of red wine (Malbec, Syrah or Merlot)
1 cup of beef stock
1/4 cup of worcestershire sauce
2 ounces of piloncillo, crumbled
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1 large sweet bell pepper, sliced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
6 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon of fresh oregano leaves
salt and black pepper

Use a sharp knife to trim most of the fat off of your beef and poke holes all over the roast
Place the beef in a large glass bowl and top with 2 cups of red wine, 1 cup of beef stock and 1/4 cup of worcestershire sauce
Cover the bowl and chill for 4-24 hours

Let the marinating roast sit at room temperature for an hour before cooking
Place a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium low heat
Crumble 2 ounces of piloncillo into the skillet and let it warm undisturbed until it begins to caramelize
While the piloncillo is warming, transfer the roast out of the marinade (set the marinade aside for now) and dry it with paper towels
Carefully place the roast into the caramelized piloncillo and reduce the heat to low
Cook the beef, turning every 30 seconds or so, until it the entire roast is deeply browned and the piloncillo is dark and sticky
Add the marinade, 1 large sliced yellow onion, 1 large sliced sweet bell pepper, 2 diced roma tomatoes, 6 cloves of minced garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano leaves and a big pinch of salt and black pepper and stir to combine everything
Cover the skillet and simmer over low heat for 3 1/2 - 4 hours or until the beef is tender

Transfer the beef into a cutting board and slice into thick slices
Pour the sauce through a strainer and reserve the vegetables
Bring the sauce to a simmer and transfer the roast slices back into the sauce
Simmer until the sauce has reduced to your preference (if the sauce is not thickening, whisk 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water and stir it into the sauce to help it thicken)