Vaca atolada, whose name means “cow stuck in the mud,” is a rib stew from Minas Gerais. The beef ribs cook until tender, then cassava is added; some of it breaks down and thickens the sauce. No flour or starch is added—the root’s own starch thickens the stew. The name comes from the meat appearing stuck in the thick sauce.
Rub the rib pieces with lemon water, rinse, and pat them thoroughly dry. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot and brown the meat in two batches for 6 minutes, until dark brown on all sides.
Set the meat aside. In the same oil, sauté the finely chopped onion for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, grated tomato, and tomato paste; cook for 4 minutes, until the raw smell of the tomato paste is gone.
Return the meat to the pot. Add the water, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper, and bring to a boil. Leave the lid slightly ajar and simmer over low heat for 90 minutes, until the meat pulls easily from the bone and about 1 liter of liquid remains in the pot.
Peel the thick cassava skin, cut the root into 4 cm pieces, and remove the tough fiber running through the center. Add it to the stew and cook for 30–35 minutes, until some pieces break down and thicken the sauce. The remaining pieces should be tender when pierced with a fork but still hold their shape.
Stir in the chopped cilantro and green onions, then remove the pot from the heat. Serve in deep bowls with white rice on the side.
Do not add the cassava before the beef. If it cooks for too long, it will break down completely, but the stew should have both dissolved cassava and intact pieces.
Maniyoğu kaburga yumuşadıktan sonra ekledim, birlikte koyunca tamamen dağılıp sosa karışıyor. Biraz dağılması iyi, sosu bağlıyor, ama hepsi erirse tabakta parça kalmıyor.
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