The Chilean comfort food tomaticán matches sweet, summery tomatoes and corn with savory beef and onions. Though it sometimes is referred to as a stew, it actually is a quick-cooking skillet dish perfect for a weeknight dinner. To get a satisfying, stewy consistency, the cooks at Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street forgo firm, dryish plum tomatoes in favor of juicier round tomatoes. Be sure to include the juices when adding the tomatoes to the skillet. And don’t worry if the beef isn’t fully cooked after searing. The pieces are small, so they will continue to cook when returned to the pan to be mixed with the vegetables.
The Chilean comfort food called tomaticán matches sweet, summery tomatoes and corn with savory beef and onions. Though it sometimes is referred to as a stew, it actually is a quick-cooking skillet dish perfect for a weeknight dinner. Chopped avocado and a hit of lime balance the richness of the beef.
In this recipe from our cookbook “ Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year,” we combine juicy summer tomatoes and sweet corn with seared sirloin steak seasoned with cumin.
The beef is seared in a cast-iron skillet until browned, then removed from the pan and set aside; the onions are cooked in the rendered beef fat to infuse them with rich, meaty flavor. The tomatoes and corn then are added to the pan and cooked until the tomatoes soften and release their juices, creating the base for this stewy one-pan meal.
The steak then is returned to the pan along with fresh parsley. Once heated through, it is transferred to a serving platter and finished with chopped avocado. Serve with rice or potatoes on the side, along with lime wedges for hit of acidity.
Be sure to include the juices when adding the tomatoes to the skillet, and don’t worry if the beef isn’t fully cooked after searing. The pieces are small, so they will continue to cook when returned to the pan to be mixed with the vegetables.
Chilean Beef, Tomato and Corn Sauté
Start to finish: 35 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1½ pounds beef sirloin steak tips or flat iron steak, cut against the grain on the diagonal into 1/8-inch-thick strips
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 ripe medium tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored and cut into ½-inch wedges
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, chopped
1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and chopped
Lime wedges, to serve
In a large bowl, stir together the cumin and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Measure 2 teaspoons into a small bowl; set aside. Add the beef to the remaining seasoning mixture and toss to coat.
In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of oil until barely smoking. Add half of the beef in an even layer and cook, without stirring, until browned on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Cook the remaining beef in the same way, then transfer to the plate.
To the skillet over medium-high, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the onion begins brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, corn and the reserved seasoning mix, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the beef and accumulated juices along with the parsley and cook, stirring, just until heated through, about 1 minute. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish, top with the avocado and serve with lime wedges.