Slow Cooker Beef and Cassava Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of beef shoulder-neck, cut into 4 pieces
• 450 g frozen cassava pieces, thawed
• 2 cups peeled butternut squash pieces (about 350 g)
• 1 small Cubanelle pepper, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 can (220 g) Spanish tomato sauce (such as Goya)
• 3 tbsp chopped cilantro stems + 1 tbsp chopped leaves
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated
• 0.5 tsp dried oregano
• 1 small red onion
• 0.5 cups distilled white vinegar

Preparation:

1. Place the beef in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker and season lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange the yucca, squash, and Cubanelle peppers in a single layer around the beef. In a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce, 1/2 cup water, cilantro stems, garlic, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Pour the seasoning over all the meat and vegetables. Cover and cook over low heat until the meat is tender, about 8 hours.
2. Meanwhile, thinly slice the red onion. Combine the vinegar, 0.5 cups of water, and 0.5 teaspoon of salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the red onion. Let cool, then transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Transfer the meat to a plate and shred with two forks into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. Skim off any excess fat from the remaining sauce in the slow cooker. Return the meat to the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide among plates. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves. Drain the pickled red onion and serve with the stew.