Posta Negra

Name: Posta Negra
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 3 lb beef bottom round (posta), in one piece; 1 cup panela (or dark brown sugar); 1 large onion, sliced; 5 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 cup beef broth; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tbsp vinegar; 1 tsp salt

Beef bottom round braised in a dark, glossy panela-and-garlic sauce — the Caribbean coast’s proudest Sunday roast.

⏱ 20 minPrep time

🔥 2 hrsCook time

🍽 8Servings

🏷 Colombian KitchenCategory

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Posta negra is the Caribbean coast’s signature beef dish, a round of beef slowly braised in a sauce darkened with caramelized panela and spices. The ‘black’ posta is all about that glossy, bittersweet sauce, a unique blend of African, indigenous, and Spanish influences.

A sauce so dark and glossy it steals the show

Hours of gentle braising make the beef fork-tender, while the sauce turns deep mahogany — sweet, savory, and faintly tangy from vinegar and cumin. Slices of meat are drowned in it and served over rice, with patacones to mop up the rest.

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Step by stepInstructions

Season the beef with salt and pepper and brown it on all sides in the oil over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes; set aside.
In the same pot, melt the panela with 2 tablespoons of water over medium heat, stirring, until it turns a deep amber caramel, about 5 minutes.
Add the onion and garlic and cook 5 minutes, scraping up the caramel.
Return the beef to the pot, add the broth, cumin, and vinegar, cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour 45 minutes, turning once.
Uncover and simmer 15 minutes more, until the sauce is dark, glossy, and thickened.
Slice the beef against the grain and spoon the dark sauce over the top; serve with rice and patacones.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Do not rush the caramel — a deep amber panela syrup is what gives the sauce its signature color and bittersweet depth. Leftovers keep 4 days and reheat wonderfully, sauce and all.

Recipe details

Prep20 min

Cook2 hrs

Servings8

CategoryColombian Kitchen

PublishedAugust 17, 2026

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

Posta Negra

A sauce so dark and glossy it steals the show

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

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Recipe details

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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Posta Negra

A sauce so dark and glossy it steals the show

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

Rate this recipe

Recipe details

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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