Portuguese Beef - Cacoila

im portuguese but my family uses pork for cacoila. and lots more garlic and we use crushed red pepper. i tried this recipe and it wasnt to bad but it is better with the pork.and we serve it with fries or rice.i live in fairhaven and cacoila is very popular here especially at the portuguese feasts they sell alot of cacoila sandwiches.and its pork meat.

I grew uo in New Bedford and I always had cacoila made with pork. I tried this recipe and it was good, however I like mine much spicier and I still think I prefer it made with pork. (I marinade it for 2 to 3 days first) My grandfather was from the Azores and maybe that explains the difference of beef or pork.

This recipe is not bad, it is pretty much how you make cacoila. I'm portuguese and the only thing I do different is I add a ton more garlic than this. I buy the minced in the jar and just put a few big spoons. Also when I make my cacoila I add onion powder and salt. We just throw a bunch spices in our dishes. And I don't use allspice in my cacoila but as long as you have the wine, paprika, onion, garlic, salt and pepper it'll be good. Also you can just add a splash of orange juice instead of having to zest and juice oranges.

This is very close to how I have made my cacoila for years. I usually make this with 6 to 10 pounds of pork and never really measure anything. My only differences are that I use portuguese allspice, crushed red pepper flakes and cinnamon. Don't be afraid to make this and adjust ingredients for your own preferences. This is my most requested dish from family and friends.

I'm Portuguese and was so happy to see this recipe. It reminded me of home. It was delicous. I can't wait to serve it to my family and friends. The BEST......

I made this recipe to break in my slow cooker. Awesome.

I agree with other reviewers that more garlic and heat are needed for authenticity, but the basic recipe is good. I had thick steaks labeled "for braising" that I think were top round that I just cut into 3" pieces. It all falls apart if cooked right anyway, so size doesn't really matter ;) Also, I don't use allspice or bay leaves at all because I like the purely wine-paprika-hot pepper-garlic taste. I only use a splash of orange juice as well and throw the whole kit-and-kaboodle in the crock pot!

This dish had an interesting flavour (garlic/peppery/orange) and the meat turned out tender yet firm. I marinated the meat for 24 hours which it needs to make sure the flavours are maximized. Don't know why the recipe says to add water during cooking as the marinade reduced down to a nice gravy to serve over the meat and rice. My boyfriend thought it was wonderful so I will be making it again!

My husband & I both enjoyed this very much. I followed the recipe except for using commercial orange juice, and made only half the recipe. The meat ended up marinating for an extra 24 hours, as we unexpectedly went out for dinner when I should have been cooking this dish. We found the meat to be very flavorful; we can't understand why anyone would have called it bland. I served it with tortillas, but would like to know what the Portuguese usually serve with it. I would caution anyone who makes this recipe to keep a close eye on the liquid levels. I gave the recipe only 4 stars because my stew beef, while edible after an hour or so of cooking, could have used another hour to get to the point of shredding. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks, John, for a recipe that we will keep making.

I made this for my husband who is Portugese. He didn't think it had enough flavor.

This was good. Used 1C of orange juice and about a 1/2t of orange peel for marinade. Added black beans, corn, and brown rice to pot while cooking beef. Good flavor, hint of orange.

The meat was very tender. Unfortunately, even though I followed the recipe exactly, there was not much flavor. I expected more flavor with these ingredients. Sorry, but thank for sharing.

I so desperately wanted this to be delicious, but it was so bland.

This dish does have an interesting blend of flavors but we still found it a little bland. It was very easy to cook in the slow cooker, the meat was very tender and no extra water was needed, the marinade did act as a nice sauce served over rice. Will not make again though.

This just tasted like a spicier beef stew.

I found this recipe rather simple which is probably why it was so tough and bland. I wont attempt this again.--- Sorry in Providence

The taste was perfect! Just spicy enough, with the sugar from the orange juice!! :D~~ We even kept a part extra of the sugar to prepare creamier sauce to pour over it (with wine and flour) fantastic recipe!

This was great! I made it in the slow cooker and it turned out very tasty. Served it in lettuce wraps and next time will make as tacos. Very versatile and just a great flavor. The heat from the hot sauce shines through just perfect-not too hot but still present. Will make again!

Cacoila is a pork dish. My 2 cents as a Portuguese person----cacoila is traditionally made with pork. This is the first time I've ever seen it with beef.

Great recipe! The flavor is lacking a little though. I added 2 tablespeeon of orange zest and it really increased the flavor!

10/19 solid product, only threw up 15 times looking at it, all part of experience, and my dog needed feeding anyway, so pretty good, could do with some flavour.

I made this using venison. It came out fantastic. Being from E.Providence with all the feasts it was pretty close. I added a lot more garlic and some red pepper flakes. I will be making this again soon.

I doubled the sauce and seasonings and it was still dry and bland. I won't make this again.