Sukalki Recipe: Hearty Basque Beef Stew with Potatoes 2026

Sukalki is a beloved beef stew from the Basque Country, a dish that speaks of hospitality and the warm character of the region. Chunks of beef, potatoes and vegetables cook slowly until everything melts into a deep, savory sauce.

Time is the secret ingredient here. This is a long cook, but it rewards your patience with one of those soul-warming meals that make a cold winter day feel cozy. It is a complete one-pot dish that needs nothing more than good bread to soak up every last drop.

Have plenty of bread ready, because the sauce is impossible to resist. Serve it steaming hot straight from the pot and watch the bowls come back empty.

Ingredients for Sukalki

For 4 servings

• 3 onions
• 1 leek
• 3 carrots
• 3 garlic cloves
• 750 g beef shank
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 20 g wheat flour
• 115 g olive oil (50 g for the meat and 65 g for the potatoes)
• 200 ml white wine
• 75 g fried tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons choricero pepper pulp
• 600 ml beef broth
• 4 medium potatoes
• 100 g peas
• 1 tablespoon parsley

How to Make Sukalki Step by Step

1. Chop the vegetables

Finely chop 3 onions, 1 leek, 3 carrots and 3 garlic cloves. Set them aside so they are ready to go into the pot later.

2. Cut, season and flour the beef

Cut the beef shank into cubes of about 4 cm. Season them with salt and pepper and coat them in 20 g of wheat flour, shaking off any excess.

3. Sear the beef

Brown the meat over medium-high heat in a pot with 50 g of olive oil. You only want to seal the outside so it keeps all its juices during cooking, so do not overcook it.

4. Sauté the vegetables and add the wine

Remove the meat and set it aside. In the same pot, sauté the chopped vegetables with a little salt over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, until golden and soft. Pour in 200 ml of white wine and let it boil so the alcohol evaporates.

5. Add the tomato and choricero pulp

Once the wine has boiled, add 75 g of fried tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons of choricero pepper pulp. Cook for another 5 minutes.

6. Pour in the broth

Heat 600 ml of beef broth in the microwave and add it to the pot.

7. Simmer the beef slowly

Add the beef shank back to the pot and let it simmer over low heat for about 2 hours and 40 minutes. If the meat looks dry, add a little more broth or hot water.

8. Peel and crack the potatoes

Meanwhile, peel 4 medium potatoes and crack them into small pieces.

9. Fry the potatoes

Fry the cracked potatoes in 65 g of olive oil until lightly golden. They do not need to be fully cooked, since they will keep cooking in the stew.

10. Remove the beef and blend the sauce

After the 2 hours and 40 minutes, take the meat out of the pot and blend the sauce with an immersion blender.

11. Return the beef with the potatoes

Put the meat back in along with the fried potatoes and let everything cook together for another 20 minutes.

12. Add the peas and parsley

To finish, add 100 g of peas and 1 tablespoon of parsley and cook for 5 more minutes. At this point both the meat and the potatoes should be tender; if not, cook for a few more minutes.

13. Serve and enjoy

Your sukalki is now ready to serve and enjoy, hot from the pot.

Tips for the Best Sukalki

Give it the full cooking time

The long, gentle simmer is what makes this stew special, so resist rushing it. The beef needs those hours to turn meltingly tender and to flavor the sauce deeply.

Keep an eye on the liquid

If the meat starts to look dry during the long cook, top it up with a little more broth or hot water. You want a rich sauce, not a dry pot.

Fry the potatoes only lightly

The potatoes finish cooking in the stew, so fry them just until lightly golden. That way they soak up the sauce without falling apart.

30 Top Recipes I Keep Coming Back to at Home

Like a lot of home cooks, I like having a go-to rotation that covers cozy comfort plates, well-known dishes from around the world, and sweets that please a crowd.

When a rich, indulgent treat is what I'm after, my picks are usually this La Viña Molten Cheesecake recipe, this refined Original French Crème Brûlée recipe, or a luscious Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe. And on days when I want something fruity and cozy, this timeless French Tarte Tatin recipe is the one I reach for.

Mornings and lighter plates call for these airy Oatmeal and Banana Pancakes recipe, a hearty Stuffed Sweet Potato recipe, or these bright Eggs Stuffed with Avocado and Salmon recipe. And for a gluten-free staple I can keep on hand, this no-fuss Gluten-Free Rice Flour recipe does the job.

Tapas and Mediterranean cooking are a mood I return to often, and I tend to cycle through this punchy Basque Tuna with Tomato recipe, these crackly Patatas Bravas Air Fryer recipe, a velvety Tirokafteri Greek Dip Sauce recipe, and a cool Burrata Salad with Tomato and Pesto recipe. This chilled Italian Vitello Tonnato recipe also makes the table when I feel like something a bit more elevated.

Come lunch or a slow dinner at home, I'm quick to suggest this warming Meatballs in Spanish Sauce recipe, a time-honored Meatballs in Almond Sauce recipe, a deep-flavored Italian Bolognese Sauce recipe, and silky Chicken Croquettes in Thermomix recipe. When hunger runs bigger, I'll bake this Greek Pastitsio Pie recipe, a homey Potatoes and Squid Stew recipe, or the deeply comforting French Boeuf Bourguignon recipe.

Street-food cravings and party spreads usually mean this saucy Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab recipe, golden Salchipapas recipe, a punchy Mexican Pork Carnitas recipe, or these crisp Korean Hobak Jeon recipe. These simple Air Fryer Zucchini Rings recipe also work nicely as a light starter or snack.

And when guests are coming and drinks are part of the plan, dinner often gets paired with a cool Original Cuban Mojito recipe, a strong Long Island Iced Tea recipe, or a jug of this fruity Bleeding Spanish Sangria recipe. To fill out the spread, I like setting out this zesty French Remoulade Sauce recipe alongside, or ending with this eye-catching Mediterranean Black Rice with Squid recipe.

Even More Tasty Recipes the Whole Family Will Enjoy

After years of trying, tweaking, and remaking dishes in my own kitchen, I've come to see that the ones that stick around are built on straightforward steps, methods you can trust, and serious flavor.

What follows is the set of recipes I keep circling back to—whether it's a fast plate just for me or a bigger spread for the people I love.

On the sweet side, the rich, silky Orange Chocolate Mousse Recipe is one I turn to when I want something that feels fancy without much fuss. Another dessert I adore is the caramelized Trdelnik Slavic Pastry Recipe, modeled on the well-known Central European chimney cake. If baking is your thing, knowing how to make syrup for better texture in desserts comes in handy, and my Inverted Sugar Recipe walks through exactly how I do it at home.

For something light and uncomplicated, I'll usually reach for the timeless Italian Caprese Salad Recipe or a flawlessly cooked Simple Poached Egg Recipe. And for heavier comfort plates, my usual picks are the filling Meatball Sandwich Recipe, the velvety Russian Stroganoff Beef Recipe, and the speedy weeknight go-to One Pot Pasta Recipe.

I'm just as happy sharing dishes with roots in other countries, like the genuine Sorropotún de Bonito Fish Stew Recipe, crunchy Chilean Pumpkin Sopaipillas Recipe, and Spain's own Cochifrito Segovian Fried Pig Recipe.

Air fryer cooking is another area I use all the time, since it cuts down on effort while still giving you excellent results. The ones I make most are Air Fryer Pork Ribs Recipe, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe, Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Peppers Recipe, Air Fryer Mixed Sandwich Recipe, Air Fryer Toasted Bread Recipe, and Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipe.

And for those steering clear of wheat, my cozy Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe shows that a baked pasta classic can still be creamy, cheesy, and completely satisfying without any gluten.

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