And You Thought We Were Done With Squash

When trying to figure out what to do with winter squash, which is native to the Americas, I think it wise to turn to the Native American peoples for help.  After all, squash has been an integral part of their diet for centuries.  Surely they would know how to make it delicious.  But where are these natives?  That was the question I found myself asking on Thanksgiving.  Where the hell are they?

I attempted to summon some squash inspiration from my distant and long-dead Mi’kmaq relatives, but frankly they’re a little pissed off that I’ve spent so much time writing up the recipes from the Italian side of my family and now the Appalachian side.  Once again, it would appear, the natives get shafted.  What do you want, relatives?  You didn’t document your recipes.  Oral storytelling will only get you so far.

A better bet, I found, was looking south of the border.  My mom’s man friend is Peruvian and has some tricks up his sleeve when it comes to squash.  Tricks I teased you with last winter and then failed to ever follow up on.  But I’ve had this dish again and again since then, and I’m smitten despite the godawful looks of it.  Stews are hard to gussy up, especially when you barely even try.  I ate this four dinners in a row, though, and since we all know how I feel about squash, I think that speaks volumes. 

 

Peruvian Beef and Squash Stew

Chopping up all this squash takes some time, but you’ll make a major dent in your squash pile, and, really, isn’t that what matters?

3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, smashed
2 Tbsp. paprika
2 lbs. sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch pieces (or you can use cheaper cuts like stew meat)
8 cups winter squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch chunks* (from about 3 squashes, like butternut, carnival, delicata, buttercup, whatever you have)
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tomatoes, chopped
¾ lb. extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large braising pot, heat olive oil until shimmering.  Sauté onions, garlic, and paprika over medium heat until soft.  Add meat and cook until halfway done.  Add potatoes and tomatoes.  Dump squash on top (no need to mix; the idea is for the squash to steam up there).  Cover, lower heat, and cook 30-45 minutes until squash is soft and easily mashed.  Proceed to mash it all with the back of your spoon, and then continue to cook until the squash melts into a thick sauce and the meat is tender, about 15 minutes more.  Sprinkle with cheese and cover until melted.  Remove from heat and serve over rice. 

*I hate peeling raw winter squash.  But I hate it less now that I know an easier way to do it.  Here’s what I learned.  Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Cut each half into wedges, as if you were serving cantaloupe.  Take a big bite and then remember that it’s not cantaloupe.  Orange does not equal cantaloupe.  Take these wedges, lay them on their sides, and use a sharp knife to slice off, one section at a time, the edges with the peel.  Then cut the peeled squash into your 1-inch pieces.  Now repeat for all 415 wedges.  Do you hate me now?

Comments

[sunny12]

oh, so it's like make a squash sauce. Say that 10 times fast (squash sauce). Anyway, it looks lovely maybe I will give it a try.

[adele]

I think stew is supposed to look like a godawful mess, and anyone whose photography suggests otherwise may have a Photoshop problem.

[Mary]

I happen to love squash. And I think your stew looks delicious. Although my prefered method of peeling and chopping squash is with a potato peeler. It goes by mighty quick.

[Veg Year]

I agree with you, peeling squash is an awful pain. Scooping the flesh out of baked squash is so very much easier. I'm currently trying to figure out how to do pasta with butternut squash, butter, and sage (a delicious combination) using baked and mashed squash rather than peeled and cubed.

Squash mashes well with Tex-Mex seasonings: garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, and of course salt, with or without butter.

[T.D. Inman]

Veg Year: I love the squash-butter-sage combo, too. But the Tex-Mex angle I haven't tried. Thanks for the idea.

Mary: I use a peeler for butternut squash, but for all of those knobbly ones or the ones with deep crevices, I have to break out the big guns.

Adele: Well good. That's one less problem I have to worry about.

Sunny12: I love this dish. Hope you do, too. Don't forget the cheese.

[Sally]

That looks good, but I'm confused about the seasonings - or lack thereof. You're just using garlic and paprika (2 TABLESPOONS?!?) and nothing else? No chili powder? No cumin? No - nothing? With those ingredients it just seems to call for *something* else for flavor. Maybe that's just me....

[T.D. Inman]

Sally: It sure looks like it would be bland, doesn't it? But it's not. It's one of those things where you can't put your finger on the flavor exactly, you just know you want to keep eating it. The original recipe called for 2 Tbsp. of paprika, but I ran out and used a heaping 1 Tbsp. and some cayenne to try to balance it out. Delicious!

[pyewacket]

You've got Mi’kmaq ancestors? Did your family come to the States through the Maritimes? I'm pretty sure I've got some Mi’kmaq in me, too; all of my grandparents were from Nova Scotia or Newfoundland, and my grandmother sure didn't look like the pure Scotswoman she made herself out to be. I really think we would have done better, foodwise, if just one grandparent or greatgrandparent had been from Sicily, but we have boiling done pat, I'll tell you what.

[T.D. Inman]

pyewacket: You'd be hard pressed not to have any Mi'kmaq in you if you have relatives from the Maritimes. So I bet you do. Probably more than me. The French side of my family was settled in Nova Scotia for hundreds of years (Cape Breton for a time, but mostly Antigonish). There are all these stories about being descended from an Indian princess, but for the life of me I can't find a shred of evidence to support this. (You know how storytelling goes.) Lots of run-of-the-mill MicMacs, though.

[pyewacket]

My grandmother was from Antigonish. Given the size of the place, we're probably related, though mine were Scottish and Welsh, not French. Got any Fifoots or MacDonalds on the family tree?

[T.D. Inman]

pyewacket: Do you know where in Antigonish? My relatives were concentrated around Havre Boucher and Cape Jack. We're a lot of Fougeres, DeCostes, and Briands. No Scots in my direct line, but I know some of the relatives married Scots. I have a scotch shortbread recipe handed down and across that I've been meaning to try.

[Family Nutritionist]

I love squash. My husband doesn't. After reading your experience with of this recipe, how can I NOT give it a try? Thank-you.

I'd like to offer the ONLY ONE of my squash recipes he can tolerate. You like chipotles?

chipotle and squash soup
http://familynutritionist.blogspot.com/2008/01/chipotle-and-red-hubbard-squash-soup.html

[Alecto]

omg that was good. and I hates squash.