Castilian Lentil & Beef Cocido with Wilted Chard
A weeknight take on cocido madrileno — lean grass-fed beef braised with brown lentils, smoked paprika, and a finish of wilted rainbow chard. The lentil-and-beef pairing is one of the most iron-dense dinners in the Mediterranean repertoire.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 1
Ingredients
- 4oz raw (113g)lean grass-fed beef stew chunks
- 1/2cup dry (95g)brown lentils
- 1cup (240ml)low-sodium beef broth
- 1tbsp (14g)extra-virgin olive oil
- 1small (60g)yellow onion, diced
- 2cloves (6g)garlic, minced
- 1small (50g)carrot, diced
- 1cup packed (40g)rainbow chard, sliced
- 1/2tspsmoked paprika (pimenton)
- 1leafbay leaf
- 1/2(~25g juice)lemon, juiced
- 1/4tspsea salt
- 1/8tspblack pepper
Instructions
- 01
Rinse the lentils under cold water and pick out any stones. Set aside.
- 02
Heat olive oil in a deep skillet or small Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pat beef chunks dry, season with salt and pepper, and sear 2 minutes per side until browned. Remove to a plate.
- 03
Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrot, and garlic to the same pan. Cook 4 minutes until softened.
- 04
Stir in smoked paprika and toast for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 05
Return beef to the pan along with the lentils, bay leaf, and beef broth. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 22 minutes until lentils are tender and beef is fork-tender.
- 06
Uncover, fold in the chard, and cook 2 more minutes until just wilted.
- 07
Discard the bay leaf, finish with a squeeze of lemon, and serve in a shallow bowl.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories
- 588kcal
- Protein
- 38g
- Carbs
- 52g
- Fat
- 22g
- Fiber
- 14g
- Selenium
- 16mcg
- Zinc
- 6.2mg
- Iron
- 8.4mg
- B12
- 1.6mcg
- Iodine
- 18mcg
- Sodium
- 640mg