Posta Negra | Cartagena-Style Beef in Dark Panela Sauce

Trim the silver skin from the beef round with a knife; it will contract during cooking and distort the meat if left on. Take the beef out of the refrigerator 1 hour ahead, pat it dry, and press salt and black pepper onto all sides. Insert half the garlic into deep slits cut with a knife.

Grate or break up the panela. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot large enough to hold the beef, then add the panela and let it melt without stirring. The sugar will foam, then turn copper-colored; move to the next step as soon as it becomes dark brown. If it turns black, wash the pot and start over; burned sugar cannot be fixed.

Set the beef in the caramel and sear each side for 2–3 minutes, turning it with tongs until a dark brown crust forms. If you try to turn it before the crust forms, the meat will stick to the pot and tear.

Remove the beef. Add the coarsely chopped yellow onion, scallions, and remaining garlic to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Add the grated tomato, cumin, and bay leaves and cook for 4 minutes more; the tomato juices will loosen the caramel from the bottom of the pot and incorporate it into the sauce.

Set the beef on the bed of vegetables and add enough hot water to cover two-thirds of the meat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and cover. Cook for 140 minutes, turning the meat once every hour. It is ready when a skewer or thin knife slides into the center without resistance.

Set the beef aside to rest. Remove the bay leaves and blend the sauce, then return it to the pot. Add the vinegar and simmer uncovered for 8 minutes, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Slice the rested beef into 1 cm pieces, return it to the sauce, and serve with white rice and patacones (fried green plantains).