Braised Beef Steak with Chickpeas and Root Vegetables

Dice the yellow onion, chop the garlic cloves, and slice the bell pepper into strips. Roughly chop the tomatoes.

Peel and cut the carrots into thick rounds, and cube the potatoes into 2-inch pieces. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.

Season the beef steaks generously with salt, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of cumin on both sides.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in your Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and bell pepper strips, stirring for another 3 minutes until fragrant.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook down for 5 minutes, mashing slightly to release their juices, until you have a rich, thick sofrito base.

Push the sofrito to the sides and add the remaining olive oil. Sear the seasoned beef steaks for 2-3 minutes per side until beautifully browned.

Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with your wooden spoon.

Sprinkle in the remaining cumin. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and braise for 45 minutes, turning the steaks halfway through.

Add the cubed potatoes and carrot rounds to the pot. Nestle the chickpeas around the beef steaks. Cover and continue braising for another 25-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the beef is fork-tender.

Taste the braising liquid and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper if needed. The sauce should be fragrant and slightly reduced.

Let the dish rest for 5 minutes off the heat. Garnish generously with freshly chopped parsley.

Serve the braised beef steaks over the vegetables and chickpeas, spooning the rich cumin-scented broth over everything. Valentina serves this with white rice and a side of caraotas on the side for the full Venezuelan comfort experience.