Seco de Res (Peruvian Coriander Beef Stew)
Tender beef slowly braised in a deep green sauce of coriander, ají amarillo and chicha or beer, with peas and potatoes. Served with white rice and creamy canary beans.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Brown the beef
Season the beef pieces with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy pot (5-6 L) over high heat and brown the beef in batches, about 3-4 minutes per batch, until deeply colored on all sides. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside with any juices.
- 1.2 kg beef
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp oil
✅ Done when: beef is deeply browned on all sides
Make the base
Lower the heat to medium. Cook the chopped onion for about 6 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, and cumin and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring, until fragrant.
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp
- 1 tsp cumin
✅ Done when: onion is soft and mixture smells fragrant
Add the coriander
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Braise the beef
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Add the potatoes and peas
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Serve
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Brown the beef
Season the beef pieces with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy pot (5-6 L) over high heat and brown the beef in batches, about 3-4 minutes per batch, until deeply colored on all sides. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside with any juices.
- 1.2 kg beef
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp oil
✅ Done when: beef is deeply browned on all sides
Make the base
Lower the heat to medium. Cook the chopped onion for about 6 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, and cumin and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring, until fragrant.
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp
- 1 tsp cumin
✅ Done when: onion is soft and mixture smells fragrant
Add the coriander
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Braise the beef
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Add the potatoes and peas
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Despite its name, which means 'dry', seco is a saucy stew. One theory traces the name to the Arabic word sakbaj, a meat stew in vinegar that reached Spain and then Peru; another says it simply described a stew cooked until the sauce reduced.
In northern Peru it's often made with goat or lamb (seco de cabrito); in Lima beef is the favourite. The trio of seco, rice and beans is a classic Peruvian lunch.
⭐ Why It's Famous
The fresh, herbal coriander sauce makes it unlike any European stew, and it tastes even better the next day.
💡 Fun Fact
Chicha de jora, the fermented corn drink sometimes used in the sauce, has been brewed in the Andes since Inca times.
Northern coast of Peru (Lambayeque, Lima)
-6.77°S, -79.84°W
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