Colombian · intermediate
Colombian Style Panela Glazed Braised Beef
Tender halal beef braised in a dark, glossy sauce made from caramelized panela sugar, traditional tomato-scallion hogao, and ground cumin.
- PREP TIME
- 20 min
- COOK TIME
- 95 min
- SERVES
- 4
Good things
start in the kitchen.
LET’S MAKE IT
Step by step
- 01
Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat, add grated panela, and melt continuously stirring until dark amber and caramelized.
- 02
Carefully add beef cubes to caramelized sugar, stirring to sear all sides in the syrup for 6 minutes until deeply browned.
- 03
Stir in chopped tomatoes, green onions, minced garlic, ground cumin, and one teaspoon of salt, cooking 5 minutes until soft.
- 04
Pour halal beef broth and lime juice into the pot, stirring well to combine with the caramel and sofrito.
- 05
Bring liquid to a boil, turn heat to low, cover tight, and braise for 80 minutes until beef is fork-tender.
- 06
Uncover pot and simmer 10 minutes over medium heat to reduce sauce to a dark glossy glaze before serving.
A LITTLE KITCHEN KNOW-HOW
Sugar Caramelization Sear
Melted unrefined cane sugar coats meat during searing, locking in moisture and creating a rich bittersweet base sauce.
Notes from the kitchen
- Keep heat moderate when melting panela to prevent burning; it should turn deep reddish-brown before meat is added.
- Pairs exceptionally well with coconut rice and fried sweet plantains.
- Original home-cooking adaptation inspired by Colombian; regional versions vary.
- Use halal-certified meat, poultry, stock, sauces, cheese and other processed ingredients. Check labels and avoid cross-contamination. Recipe screening is not halal certification.