Recipe: Beef Stew in a Pumpkin Shell (Argentina)

Beef Stew in a Pumpkin shell
This is a popular hearty stew in Argentina.

2 pound of beef, cut in bite size cubes
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper; chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
2 teaspoon of basil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup of dried apricots, chopped coarsely if whole and large
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups of beef broth
1 medium large Pumpkin
butter or margarine; melted
1/4 c Dry sherry
1 pound of whole kernel corn, drained and/or defrosted

In the olive oil brown the beef with the onion and garlic.

Add all the remaining ingredients, except the corn, sherry and pumpkin of course. Simmer for a 1 hour, covered.

Cut the top off the pumpkin and discard. Scoop out the seeds and stringy membrane, and discard them as well. You could toast the pumpkin seeds in the oven for a snack if you like, but they are not used in this recipe.

Brush the inside of the pumpkin with butter and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Stir in the stew, sherry and corn. Bake the stew containing pumpkin at 325F for about an hour, or until the pumpkin is tender.

When serving, scoop out some pumpkin along with the stew.