Venezuelan Asado Negro

To begin the recipe, it is necessary to marinate the beef for at least 12 hours before cooking. Place approximately 1.5 kg of beef round in a dish. Dice 1 onion, 3 or 4 garlic cloves, 1 sweet pepper, 1 celery stalk, ¼ red bell pepper and add them to the beef along with 1 bay leaf. Pour in 300 ml of Don Jose Onofre red wine and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours to marinate.

After this time, heat 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil in a pot and add 70 g of raw cane sugar, panela, or brown sugar. Cook gently while stirring constantly for about 5 minutes until a caramel texture is achieved for the recipe.

Once the sugar is ready, add the marinated meat and reserve the rest of the marinade ingredients. Sear the meat for 2 minutes on each side until browned and sealed.

Then, strain the vegetables from the marinade liquid, add them to the pot, and sauté gently until the onion begins to cook. Reserve the marinade liquid for the next step.

Pour the marinade juice into the pot along with 20 ml of Worcestershire sauce. Cook over high heat for 5 minutes. Cover the meat with water and once it starts to boil, cook the asado negro over low heat for 3 hours. Check occasionally to add water if needed. Before turning off the heat, taste for salt and adjust if necessary.

Remove the beef round or muchacho redondo from the pot and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Strain the sauce and reduce it over low heat until it reaches a shiny, black syrup-like texture.