Namibian Beef Stew Recipe
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 with pap, fat cakes (fried dough), pasta or over rice.
Servings: 4 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs) beef chucks or shanks with bone-in
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 large onions
- 2 garlic cloves
- 300 g (10.6 oz) carrots
- 1 liter (4 cups ) water hot
- chili flakes, salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons sunflower 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.