The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 13 Winter 2015 Low res | Page 29

The Zimbabwean Gardener Bill y’s meats Braised Beef Short Rib Stew This delicious stew is a perfect winter dish. Braising is a style of cooking with both dry and moist heats. Usually the meat is seared at a high temperature, then cooked at a lower temperature in a covered pot, usually with liquids and selected ingredients to complete the cooking process. Braising is an excellent way to cook tougher, more affordable cuts of meat. It relies on heat, moisture and time to tenderise the tougher fibres common in meats such as brisket, blade, shin and short ribs. Cooking using pressure cookers, slow cookers and crockpots are examples of braising. This month’s recipe is best prepared a day before it is to be eaten. It also freezes well, and lends itself to your own personal touches, such as a bit of chilli or a selection of your favourite herbs and/or spices. Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 210 minutes Serves 6 generous portions Ingredients 3 kg beef short ribs with bones 2 large onions, peeled 3 large carrots, peeled 4 large celery stalks 4 cloves garlic, peeled 3 bay leaves Fresh thyme sprigs 1 can diced tomatoes 2 litres beef stock 1 cup red wine Salt and ground black pepper to taste Method 1. Preheat oven to 150°C. 2. Quarter the onions, and chop the celery and carrots into 2cm chunks. 3. Dry the ribs and generously season them with salt. 4. Heat a small amount of oil in a large pot until it’s smoking hot. Brown the beef well on all sides over a high heat. Do this in batches, as the ribs won’t brown as well if the pan is too crowded. Remove the ribs and set aside. 5. Reduce the heat and add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Sauté in the resulting beef juices for a few minutes until slightly browned. 6. Add the wine and use a spoon to loosen all the dark, flavoursome bits from the bottom of the pan. 7. Add the can of tomatoes, bay leaves, a couple of thyme sprigs and the browned beef. 8. Add the stock. If there’s not enough liquid to cover the meat, add water until the ribs are just covered. 9. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to boil, then cover with a tightly fitting lid and transfer the pot to the oven. 10. Allow the meat to braise for 3 hours without interruption of the cooking process. 11. Add the carrots and braise for a further 30 minutes. 12. Remove the pot from oven; let it rest for 20 minutes, then serve. The meat may have fallen off the bone, but that’s what makes it tender and tasty. Options • • • When you’re adding the carrots this is a good time to add extra vegetables to your meat. Suggestions include mushrooms (sliced and lightly fried), peas, beans and lentils. If you want to thicken the gravy, then spoon a little of the stew’s liquid into a bowl. Add a couple of tablespoons of flour, corn flour or mushroom soup powder and mix well to remove all the lumps. Stir it back into the stew. When cooking your stew in a pressure cooker or a slow cooker, remember to adjust your cooking times and the amount of liquid you use. A pressure cooker will generally cook your meal in one third of the time it would take on the stove or in the oven, while a slow cooker will take three times longer. Because liquids do not evaporate the way they do in an oven or stove, the amount of stock can be reduced. BOND ST CNR MOUNT PLEASANT SHOPS The chase, harare Tel: [phone] POMONA SHOPPING CENTRE SHOP NO 3 BORROWDALE, harare Tel: [phone] Email: [email protected] EMAIL: [email protected] 29