Claudette Zepeda's Take on Bistec con Papas: Chile Pasado

Claudette Zepeda's Take on Bistec con Papas: Chile Pasado
October 13, 2026

For the next installment of our Chef en Residencia series, Chef Claudette Zepeda takes us to the Chihuahua–Texas borderlands with a dish she grew up eating: bistec con papas. Her mom's version was the kind of hearty, comforting guisado that could feed the family for days, served in one pan with tender beef, potatoes, and a deeply savory sauce, all topped with melted cheese. But the real star here isn't the steak or the potatoes. It's the chile. Unlike most dried chiles, which are dried straight from fresh, chile "pasado" is a chile that's past its prime. It begins as a fresh chilaca chile that's charred, peeled, and then dried, for a real depth of flavor and meaty texture. Simmered with tomatoes, onions, and beef, it's the kind of meal that tastes even better the next day. Serve it with warm corn or flour tortillas, and don't be surprised if it becomes part of your regular rotation.

For more recipes like this, check out Claudette's cookbook, Cooking the Borderlands.

Reprinted with permission from Cooking the Borderlands: Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States by Claudette Zepeda. Copyright © 2026 by Claudette Zepeda. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

Organic Corn Tortillas
Chile Pasado con Bistec y Papas (Braised Steak with Chile and Potatoes)

Chile Pasado con Bistec y Papas (Braised Steak with Chile and Potatoes)

Claudette Zepeda

Servings

4

Category

Stews & Guisados

This hearty guisado brings together tender beef, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and chile pasado—a charred, peeled, and dried chilaca chile prized for its rich flavor and meaty texture. Served with warm corn or flour tortillas to scoop up every last bit of sauce.

Ingredients

  • 3 dried pasado chiles
  • 1 pound beef sirloin or tenderloin tips, cut into ¼-inch strips
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil
  • ½ medium yellow onion, diced small
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, diced small
  • 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
  • ¾ cup grated queso Chihuahua
  • For Serving: stewed beans, corn tortillas, or flour tortillas

Directions

  1. Stem and seed the chiles. Add them to 1 cup of boiling water and steep until softened, about 8 minutes. Remove the chiles and pat dry (save the soaking water). Cut the chiles into small pieces.

  2. Season the beef with salt and black pepper. Set a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the meat to the pan in a single layer to sear (work in batches to prevent crowding). Allow the meat to cook undisturbed, for about 3 minutes, so it caramelizes on one side.

  3. Once the meat is browned, add in the diced onions, garlic, and oregano. Sauté until the onions become translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the diced tomato and continue to sauté for 4 minutes, stirring and scraping up any caramelized bits at the bottom of the pan.

  4. Add the diced potatoes, chile pasado, and the reserved chile soaking water. Adjust the salt to taste and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.

  5. After 20 minutes, stir the guisado to ensure nothing is stuck on the bottom. Test the potatoes for doneness—you want them soft but not falling apart. Once the potatoes are done, adjust seasoning once more to taste.

  6. Sprinkle the queso Chihuahua over the entire pan. Allow it to melt directly in the pan, or transfer to the oven and broil for extra bubbly goodness. Serve with Stewed Beans and fresh tortillas.

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