Beef stew also known as beef potjie/ beef potjiekos is one of the typical Namibian dishes. It’s normally prepared in a large cast-iron three-legged pot over an open wood fire. This recipe however was made exclusively on the stovetop.
Making beef stew over the open fire usually takes 3 to 4 hours, in comparison to an electric stove but it’s well worth the effort.
The Namibian beef stew is made with big chunks of beef, that contain fat and bones, vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, butternut, sweet potatoes, corn, just depending on what you have home. Sometimes we also add intestines and tripe, since this gives the beef stew an amazing kick.
This beef stew is made with simple ingredients, leaves lots of room for small changes with still amazing results and tastes so good. It tastes great with pap, fat cakes (fried dough),pasta or over rice.
What you’ll need to make beef potjiekos recipe
1 kg (2.2 lbs) beef chucks/shanks with bone-in
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2 large onions
2 garlic cloves
300 g (10.6 oz) carrots
1 liter (about 4 cups) water, hot
chili flakes, salt and pepper to taste
about 3 tablespoons to brown the meat
How to make Namibian beef stew
Pat dry the meat with paper towels and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Next peel and cut the onions and garlic cloves into smaller pieces.
In a large pot heat the oil at medium – high and brown the meat chunks. Don’t overcrowd the pot, otherwise the meat won’t brown.
Add onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring continuously.
In the meanwhile peel and cut the carrots into pieces.
Add the carrots and then the tomato paste and stir well. Cook for another minute.
Add about half of water and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium – low. Cover and simmer for 60 minutes. Keep stirring and adding water in between, so that the bottom of the pot doesn’t burn.
Season with chili flakes, salt and pepper and add the remaining water.
Let simmer for another 25 minutes or until the meat is tender and the sauce is nicely thick. If you feel like the meat is not yet tender, then just add more liquid and let simmer a bit longer. Enjoy!
This Namibian style beef stew aka. Potjiekos is hearty, rich and packed with flavor. Made with a handful of simple ingredients on the stovetop in less than 2 hours. It tastes great withpap,fat cakes (fried dough),pasta or overrice.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr45 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: African, Namibian, Southern African
Keyword: African beef stew, beef potjie, beef potjiekos, beef stew, beef stew with carrots, dinner, how to, keto, Low carb, potjiekos, stew
Servings: 4Servings
Author: Ester | esterkocht.com
Ingredients
1kg (2.2 lbs)beef chucksor shanks with bone-in
4tablespoonstomato paste
2large onions
2garlic cloves
300g (10.6 oz)carrots
1liter (4 cups )waterhot
chili flakes, salt and pepperto taste
3tablespoonssunflower oil to brown the meat
Instructions
Pat the meat dry with kitchen papers/ paper towels and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Next peel and cut the onions and garlic cloves into smaller pieces.
In a large pot heat the oil at medium – high and brown the meat chunks. Don’t crowd the pot, otherwise the meat won’t brown. (SEE NOTES) Add onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. In the meanwhile peel and cut the carrots into pieces. Add the carrots and then the tomato paste and stir well. Cook for another minute.
Add half of water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium – low. Cover and simmer for 60 minutes. Keep stirring and adding water in between, so that the bottom of the pot doesn’t burn.
Season with chili flakes, salt and pepper and add the remaining water. Let simmer for another 25 minutes or until the meat is tender and the sauce is nicely thick. (SEE NOTES)
Notes
If you’re using more than 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of meat or a smaller pot, then you should divide the meat into half, otherwise you will crowd the pot and the meat will not brown.
If you feel like the meat is not yet tender, then just add more liquid and let simmer a bit longer.
Did you make this Namibian style beef stew recipe? I’d love to hear from you! Simply write a review and add rating to it
For most types of stew, it takes time to develop great flavor. Stew uses collagen-rich, tough cuts of meat, which need at least two hours to break down. If you try to rush it and boil the stew, the muscle fibers will shrink and become tough. So give yourself a few hours to let it do its thing.
The secret to tender beef stew lies in slow braising short ribs and marbled chuck roast in a red wine and beef broth. This gentle simmer transforms the meat into incredibly tender pieces that practically fall apart with a fork. Tender root vegetables, like carrots and potatoes, complete this hearty dish.
Vegetables: small chopped carrots, celery, and onion or shallot practically melt into the sauce. Mushrooms: button mushrooms are a nod to the quartered mushrooms many classic beef stew recipes call for, but are thinly sliced instead of being left in bigger pieces. Garlic: minced garlic brings lots of cozy flavor.
The most common beef used for stew is chuck steak, also known as gravy beef or braising steak. Beef chuck comes from the forequarter of the animal consisting of parts of the neck, shoulder blade and upper arm.
Laurence further reveals that "adding wine or other alcohol brings out different flavors (those that are alcohol-soluble) that wouldn't otherwise be expressed in the dish. There are flavors in tomatoes that are alcohol-soluble, so adding red wine along with tomato paste also helps to enhance beef stew."
The choice becomes easier when you realize that simple baking soda can be an ideal meat tenderizer that helps to bring out all the aromas and flavors in every sizzling beef stew or charburger.
Your onions will be fine, but mushy potatoes and carrots are a no-no. Instead, add them about 20 minutes before the end of cooking. When they're tender, the stew is done.
Although I added carrots, little red potatoes, rutabaga and cremini mushrooms, you have plenty of options. Parsnip, turnip, pearl onions, squash and fennel will also work. Stir them in gently and immediately return the pot to the oven for the final hour of cooking.
Personally I would add as many aromatics and flavor enhancing substances that I like. If the stew is already finished, then you can sauté onions, garlic peppers, celery and carrots then add them to the stew. I would also add some herbs and finally salt and pepper to taste.
Very simply put, browning equals flavor. As beef sears, the outside caramelizes, adding extra flavor to the beef, not to mention creating these tasty little browned bits that form on the bottom of the pot. Without browning, the finished stew just won't taste as good and the sauce won't be as dark.
It's not a gravy—you shouldn't be adding a roux or flour or cornstarch. If you do prefer your stew on the thicker side, though, you can toss your beef in flour or cornstarch before you sear it—the bits left behind will thicken your stew and add deeper flavor.
Once all the meat has been seared and transfered out of the pan, cook the vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium and warm another teaspoon of oil. Add the onions and celery, and cook until the onions are softened and translucent, 8-10 minutes.
Luckily, long ago I discovered a budget-friendly and simple pantry ingredient that takes my beef stew to the next level. A bit of tomato paste amps up the flavor of beef stew, giving it a richness and a punch of umami that makes the stew truly memorable.
Searing meat takes a long time, and it's tempting to skip it. Don't. Searing the meat until it develops a dark brown crust and a sticky “fond” starts to glaze over the bottom of the pan are both key to creating the kind of rich, caramelized flavors that make stews irresistibly good.
Cook, turning the pieces until beef is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch; add more oil as needed between batches. Remove the beef from the pot and add the vinegar and wine.
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