Steak Stew with Rice (Jollof Rice)

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Variations on this famous Nigerian dish appear all over West Africa, including versions with game, fish, chicken, and vegtables.

Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 pounds sirloin steak cut into 12 pieces
  • 5 tablespoons vegetable oil, preferably peanut oil
  • 1 1/4 cups chopped onion
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 teaspoons crushed red chile or red caribe
  • 1 cup rice

Instructions

Heat 1/2 cup of the water and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a barge, heavy skillet.  Add the steak pieces and simmer, turning the meat once or twice, until the water is evaporated.  Add 3 tablespoons of the oil and brown the meat.  Set the meat aside.

Place the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, 2 cups of water, 1 cup of the onion, 2 cups of the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, and chile in a large, heavy saucepan and bring to a boil.  Add the reserved meat, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally.

Heat the remaining 2 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a saucepan.  When the water is boiling, add the rice and the remaining onion, tomatoes, and the remaining 1 tablespoon tomato paste.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

To serve, spoon the rice over the meat.

Beef Groundnut Chop

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“Chop” is an Afican Slang word for food or meal, and this recipe fits that term because it is a big meal!  It contains some of the most basic ingredients of West Africa with garnishes similar to curry dishes–another food influence in Africa.  In West Africa, the beef would probably be substituted with wild game, buffalo, antelope, etc.  Use your imagination here in North America–elk, venison, antelope, or lamb.  Serve the huge pot of stew and incredible condiments buffet style.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 5 pounds of beef or game, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 4 cups coarsely chopped onions
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons chile caribe (crushed dried red chile)
  • * Hot water
  • 1/2 pound peanut butter
  • 28 0r 32 ounce can stewed tomatoes
  • 6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
  • Hot cooked rice
  • * Condiments – see below

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large, heavy Dutch oven or stockpot, add the meat in batches to brown and when almost all of the meat is browned, add 2 cups of the onions and saute until the onion are wilted, about 2 mintues.  Stir in the salt, black peppe, and red chile caribe.  Add 2 cups of hot water and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a medium heat, and, stirring a few times, allowing the water to reduce by half.

Add the remaining onions, and enough hot water to cover the meat over 1/2 inch and simmer for 25 minutes, covered.  Scoop out about 2 cups of the broth and place it in a smaller bowl; add the peanut butter and whisk the mixture until it is smooth.  Gradually add this mixture to the simmering meat, strring to keep the sauce smooth, adding more hot water if the mixture is too thick.

Then add the tomatoes and chopped eggs, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer for 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender.  Stir the mixture occasionlly and add more hot water if it starts getting too thick.

* Serve the dish with hot, cooked rice, and any or all of the suggested condiments: fried plantain pieces, chopped tomatoes, chpped bell pepper, chopped oranges, toasted coconut, fried onion rings, chopped roasted peanuts, mango chutney, crushed pepper, diced papaya, grated ginger root, fried okra, chopped boiled eggplant.

Mary Jane’s Green Chile Meatloaf

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Take a meatloaf recipe from the Midwest, transfer it to New Mexico, add some green chile (El Pinto brand bottled, flame-roasted works great), and bingo, a spiced-up old standard made even more delicious. Serve with baked potatoes, vegetable, salad. It makes great sandwiches the next day.

Ingredients

1 egg beaten in a large bowl
1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (I get mine at a store that has hormone free meats)
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion or shallots
1/4 to 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs (start with 1/4 cup-if the mixture looks too moist, mix in more)
1/4 cup catsup or more depending on the mixture
1/2 cup well drained green chiles, or green chile salsa drained very well and squeezed in a paper towel
Ground black pepper and a little salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F
Slap  on the latex gloves and gently mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. This is when you need to determine whether to add more bread crumbs or more catsup.
Shape into a rectangular loaf and place the mixture in a bread pan. Bake for 1 hour for a one pound loaf. Bake 1 and 1/4 hours for a 1 1/2 pound loaf
Place several paper towels on a heat proof plate( to absorb excess grease) and  place the meatloaf on them. I use 2 spatulas at each end of the loaf  to remove it, so it doesn’t break in the middle.

Prawns in Orange-Ginger Sauce

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Rick Browne, Ph.B., host of the PBS show “Barbecue America” and the author of The Best Barbecue on Earth and nine other books, is supplying articles and recipes to the Fiery Foods& Barbecue SuperSite.

Ingredients

12 giant tiger prawns, shelled and de-veined (tails intact)
1/2 cup butter

1 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice 

2 tablespoons sherry

1 teaspoon grated orange zest 

2 minced green onions (tops and white parts)

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
1 orange, thinly sliced for garnish

 

Prawns in Orange-Ginger Sauce

Instructions

Combine butter, juice, sherry, zest, onions, and ginger in a saucepan and cook over  medium to low heat, stirring until butter is completely melted. Cool to room  temperature.


Put prawns in a one-gallon sealable plastic bag and add half of the orange sauce, seal the bag and set prawns aside to marinate for 1 hour.  Cover remainder of sauce and keep warm.


Preheat charcoal or gas barbecue to 375˚F.


Place the shrimp on an oiled grill rack about four inches above the coals or gas flame. With a brush, liberally baste the prawns with the sauce and grill for two minutes, then turn the prawns over and generously baste again, cooking for another two minutes. Most of them will be done at this point, but continue basting and turning any larger prawns until they are pink and just cooked through. 


Remove the prawns from the heat immediately, as they will get tough if overcooked. 


Serve prawns on a warm platter over spinach leaves, with the remaining sauce as a dip for the prawns. Garnish with thin orange slices.


Serves 4 to 6

Barbecued Lamb Ribs

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Rick Browne, Ph.B., host of the PBS show “Barbecue America” and the author of The Best Barbecue on Earth and nine other books, is supplying articles and recipes to the Fiery Foods& Barbecue SuperSite.

This recipe and others can be found in the following article:

Flypaper & Foie Gras

A Tale of Two Barbecue Restaurants 

By Rick Browne, PH.B. 

 

 

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1/4 teaspoon dry oregano 

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

2 teaspoons brown sugar 

1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons red wine

2 1/2 pounds lamb spareribs, fat trimmed

 

BBQ Lamb 

Instructions


In a 1- to 1½-quart pan over medium heat, cook the onion and garlic in oil, stirring often, until soft but not brown, 6-8 minutes. 


Mix in the oregano, cinnamon, cayenne, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, ketchup, and wine. Stirring, bring to a boil on high heat and cook for 2 minutes. Let the mixture cool, cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.


Place the ribs on a grill 4-6-inches above a solid bed of medium-hot coals. Cook, turning the ribs once until they are browned on all sides, 15-17 minutes total for medium-rare. Watch carefully—since the meat is fatty you’ll need to turn or move it on grill to stop flare-ups. 


During the last five minutes generously brush sauce on both sides of the ribs; it should just begin to caramelize when you take them off the fire.


Remove ribs from the grill, slather on more sauce, then cut the ribs apart and serve them on a heated platter. Provide plenty of napkins.