Beef Potjiekos

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg (2½ lb) chuck roast, cut into 4 cm (1½ in) cubes
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 250 ml (1 cup) dry red wine
• 250 ml (1 cup) beef stock
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp apricot jam
• 400 g (14 oz) baby potatoes, halved
• 3 carrots, thickly sliced
• 200 g (7 oz) butternut squash, in 3 cm (1¼ in) cubes
• 200 g (7 oz) green beans, trimmed
• Chopped parsley, to serve

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a cast-iron Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat and sear the beef in batches until browned, about 5 minutes per batch. Set aside.
2. Lower the heat to medium and add the onions. Cook for 8 minutes until golden. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper and stir for 1 minute.
3. Pour in the wine and stock, add the Worcestershire and jam, and scrape up the browned bits. Return the beef.
4. Bring to a bare simmer, cover, and stew on low heat for 1½ hours without stirring, so the pot cooks undisturbed, as it would over coals.
5. Lay the potatoes and carrots on top (do not stir them in) and add a splash of water if dry. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
6. Add the butternut on top, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Add the green beans for the last 10 minutes until tender but bright.
7. Gently fold the layers together, taste for salt, and scatter with parsley.

Notes

• Serving: with pap, rice or crusty bread.
• Over coals: if cooking in a cast-iron potjie, keep 8 to 10 coals underneath and replace as they fade.
• Make ahead: the meat part can be cooked a day in advance; add the vegetables when reheating.
• Slow cooker: sear and build the sauce as written, then cook on low 7–8 hr or high 4 hr with the potatoes and carrots under the meat. Add the butternut for the last 1½ hr and the beans for the last 30 minutes on high.
• Chef's touch: finish with a squeeze of lemon with the parsley; it lifts the sweet apricot and spice.