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Beef Chile Pasado is what I call comfort food!
My family is from Durango, Mexico. The cathedral, la Plaza de Armas, Parque Guadiana, 20 de Noviembre… All of it has a special place in my heart. Plus, my dad lives there.
Nothing says Durango like this dish. Packed with flavor, incredibly delicious, and full of childhood memories.
Saddle up, my friends. This recipe is straight from the heart of DGO.
More Recipes from Durango:
Enchiladas Dulces
Mole Estilo Norteno
Caldillo Duranguense
Durango Burritos
Capirotada Duranguense
Picadillo Estilo Durango
The Dish vs. The Chile
Chile Pasado is not a chile. It is a process in which the chiles are dried. You can use either chilaca or poblano. Sometimes, you might find regular green chile as chile pasado.
Most chiles are dried as is. In the process of chile pasado, you roast the chiles first. Sometimes the skin is left on, but it can be removed.
Typically, this is done outside but then moved inside at night so the night midst won’t get them wet. This is repeated until they are completely dry.
These are the types of chiles that are used to make the dish called “Chile Pasado.”
How to make the dish
- Start by covering the chile pasado with hot water.
- Let them sit for 5 minutes, or until pliable.
Discard the water. Bugs like to hide in dried chiles. They also collect a lot of dust.
This is why you should throw the water away.
How to store them
Store dried chile pasado in a paper bag. Do not store in plastic, or they will get wet, and fungus will form. They can also be frozen for up to a year.
- Once the chile is rehydrated, remove the stem.
- Cut lengthwise.
- Remove the seeds from inside.
- Set aside.
Repeat with all the chiles until done.
There is no clean way around this. This step is really messy.
More Northern Mexican Recipes:
Frijoles Charros
Pork Chile Colorado with Nopales
Chile Verde
Birria de Res
- Chop the chile pasado into smaller pieces.
- Set aside until ready to use.
The flavor in this chile is very unique. It’s hard to substitute with another dried chile.
Instead, you can substitute for roasted poblano pepper or roasted chilaca.
- Heat oil.
- Add the meat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the chile pasado, potatoes, tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Stir to combine.
- Add the water and beef bouillon.
Typically, this dish is made with pork, but you can also use beef. Whichever you prefer is fine.
Great Idea!
You can also add vegetables like calabacitas, green beans, mushrooms, or broccoli.Be sure to dice up the potatoes into small pieces so they can cook easily in the broth. Larger pieces will take longer to cook.
Substitutions:
Instead of beef bouillon you can use beef broth. Or, use water and salt.
Cover with a lid and let this cook until the potatoes are tender. About 10-15 minutes.
What to serve with it?
Frijoles de la Olla
Mexican Rice
Arroz Blanco
Ensalada de Nopales
Corn Tortillas
Chile Pasado is such a tasty dish! Full of flavor and deliciousness. It will take you back to Durango at first bite.
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Table of Contents
Beef Chile Pasado
Ingredients
- 7 chile pasados
- 5 cups water divided
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 lbs beef cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 potatoes peeled and diced
- 4 tomatoes diced
- ¼ onion diced
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ teaspoon beef bouillon (or use salt)
Instructions
- Cover the chile pasado with 4 cups of really hot water.
- Let stand for 5 minutes, or until pliable.
- Discard the water.
- Cut off the stems and discard.
- Cut lengthwise and remove as many of the seeds as possible.
- Rough chop the chiles into smaller pieces and set aside.
- Add oil in a stock pot.
- Sear beef.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, chile pasado, tomatoes, onion, and garlic.
- Add 1 cup of water and beef bouillon.
- Mix well.
- Cover and cook 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Maggie Unzueta is the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer, videographer, and creator of In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been developing easy and authentic Mexican food, Mexican-inspired recipes, and traveling tips since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.
My family is from Durango and whenever someone visits, they bring back a 5ftbag full of these Chiles for the family! We make it in different ways. Either with Meath like you did, or my personal favorite is with potatoes and eggs since I don’t eat meat. Wish there was an easier way to get these!
Yes, Durango! And I know the pain of searching for specific ingredients, it can be a real challenge!
Hi Maggie! Thank you for this recipe. My husband is from Durango & I can’t wait to make this for him. My sister in law found chile pasado in a little supermarket in Aurora, Illinois. Just wondering what type of beef you used here?
That’s great. It can be hard to find pasado. Use any cut of beef. As long as it’s cut into tiny pieces. Your husband is going to love it!
Hi Maggie! Love chile pasado, can you tell me where I can order it?
I found it once at Northgate in a bin and nearly cried. Even in Tijuana, I can’t find. I once saw it on Amazon, but it was SO expensive, I passed.
Mi Amiguita Maggie,
Loved this recipe and your story behind it. I must try it but after I make some Chile Pasados. I’ll let you know in a few days how it goes!!
Always,
Rick
Hope you do! I know you’ll like it. Saludos!
Hi Maggie!
We live chile pasado where is it available in US? Can we order it ? Thanks for any info
It’s almost impossible to find. I once found it at Northgate for $11.99/ lb. Crazy, right? In Durango, it’s like $11 pesos per kilo. I once found it on Amazon, but it was really expensive.
Is pasado chiles and ancho chiles the same? I can’t seem to find them to purchase and make recipe?
Thank you Maggie
Hi Elena. No, chile pasado is type of drying method only used in Durango and Chihuahua. Chile pasados are very hard to find in the US. To substitute, use roasted poblano peppers.
This sounds so comforting and satisfying but o don’t eat meat. What vegetarian protein can I add to this recipe?
You can easily make this recipe vegetarian by using a meat substitute, such as textured soy protein, crumbled tofu, or tempeh. You could also try using mushrooms or lentils as a substitute for the meat. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time as needed to ensure the protein is cooked through. Keep in mind that the flavor may be slightly different, but it should still turn out delicious!
A fabulous dinner recipe.The pasado chiles are spicy and a fabulous combo with the beef.
Thank you Eileen. Glad you enjoyed it!
Pinned it and saved it for later. Will try these for sure. The recipe looks so lovely. Cant wait to try it.
This recipe is amazing. Glad you liked it!
Bookmarked for winter! I feel like this is one of those recipes I would love on a cold winter day, looks super cozy and delicious! Thank you for sharing!
It’s delicious. Hope you try it!
I’ve always seen the dried chiles in the store and always skip right past them because I never know how to use them or what to make with them. So I’m so glad I found this recipe – it was fun to make and delicious!
Glad you enjoyed this recipe! It’s delicious.
Delicious dish for an amazing weekend. Looks like a comforting meal for sure.
So delicious. Hope you try it!
I love learning about new ingredients and techniques so your chile pasado recipe is a great fit for me. This looks like comfort food and it seems like it would be a perfect meal to enjoy with family and friends.
Perfect for a get together!
Hi, Maggie! I really enjoyed reading this post – I learned so much about the process for making chile pasado and how to use them. But I also appreciated that you offered a couple of more common substitutions to try, since right now finding specialty ingredients in my area of the Midwest can sometimes be tricky. I love that you made a traditional, authentic dish so accessible to try!
So glad you enjoyed Shelley! Authentic dishes are the best always!
I would really like this on a cold day, it looks so warm and delicious! It looks so flavoursome and I love the variety of different vegetables included in this beautiful dish. I definitely need to try this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome. It’s delicious, hope you try it!