Recipe of the Month: Rosa’s Carne Molida con Verduras
March’s recipe of the month comes from Rosa, a dedicated mother in the Na’atik community whose two boys have been an integral part of our English program for years. She’s sharing a simple yet delicious dish—Carne Molida which in English would be ‘Ground Meat with Vegetables’—that’s both nourishing and versatile. This recipe can be made with many different ingredients, but Rosa’s version highlights local flavors from the Yucatán Peninsula. While beef is more common in northern and central Mexico, here in the Yucatán, pork is often the preferred choice, making it a natural fit for this dish. Serve it with rice, warm tortillas, or a side of frijol cabax (a bowl of hot, whole black beans). And if you have any leftovers, simply heat them up with red pasta sauce for a quick and hearty pasta dish!
Carne Molida con Verduras
Servings: 5 people
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
½ kilo ground meat (any type)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 carrot, minced
2 tomatoes, diced (can be deseeded if desired)
1 potato, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 small bowl of spinach (whole or chopped)
½ onion, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon red spice (e.g., achiote, paprika, or chili powder)
water, as needed
Instructions:
Thaw the meat if frozen.
Wash all vegetables thoroughly.
Mince the carrot, potato, and garlic.
Start cooking the meat: Place the ground meat in a pan and cover it with a lid. Cook on medium heat until all excess water has evaporated.
Add onion, zucchini, and tomatoes to the pan. Stir and cook for a few minutes.
Lower the heat and add garlic and onion. Sauté until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
Add potatoes, carrots, and zucchini. Stir well.
Cut spinach and add it to the pan. Cook until wilted.
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of red spice in water and pour over the meat using a strainer (optional, for more flavor).
Let simmer on low heat for 10–15 minutes, covered, to trap heat.
Serve hot with tortillas, rice, or other side of choice.
Enjoy!
Want to know more about Mexican-Maya food? Check out the recipe section of our blog page for some great recipes from the Zona Maya and beyond.
If you want to sample the unique flavors of the Mexican Caribbean, the best place is in the kitchens of our local families. Na’atik’s MaS (Maya and Spanish) Immersion students stay with local families during their time with us, sharing three meals a day with their host family. To find out more about how you can improve your language skills and experience the real Mexico, visit our immersion page or send our team an email at mas@naatikmexico.org today.