Sunday, August 3, 2014

West African Beef and Peanut Stew

Sunday Supper has partnered with The Beef Checkoff this week, and while I can't "officially" participate (darn those US only regulations :-)) I thought that in spirit, I'd bring the beef too. Now, my family are not generally big beef eaters - my stepdad and stepbrother might go for a steak or a double burger occasionally (especially if the only other option is chicken), but my mom really could take a pass over the "cow" section of the supermarket without much of a second thought. We do love spice, though, and my mom is a huge fan of exotic combinations or multicultural offerings.

Even though my mom doesn't need to tote her lunch to work anymore (except for those few days she volunteers at my school), she still loves being able to pull something out of the fridge or freezer, stick it in the microwave and call it a meal. This is a bonus for me, since I love making her meals as much as she enjoys eating them, and it's a great way to not only have blog "fodder" and use up stray ingredients from the pantry, fridge and garden, but to expand my savoury cooking experiences beyond the usual "safe" meals I make for myself each night. When my mom mentioned that she was in the mood for a spicy, peanutty stew akin to one she had at a restaurant a while back, I got to searching and found this one from The Kitchn. What I particularly liked about it was that it didn't need a lot of red meat to pack a punch, rather a small cut of chuck left over from our butcher's trimmings acted as one member of a flavour symphony.

West African Beef and Peanut Stew

I definitely took the idea behind the original stew and added my own flair, loading the pot with local onions, potatoes, and garlic, plus hot peppers, scallions, carrots and beet greens from our garden. Extra spices added another layer of complexity, while a sizable dollop of peanut butter "hides" the heat at first bite, allowing it to sneak up and deliver a delicious kick in the end!  

I'm sharing this with  Gluten Free Fridays and Waste Not Want Not Wednesday

Are you a beefaholic? Check out The Beef Checkoff in one (or more) of the myriad ways below!

Website: http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beef
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeefItsWhatsForDinner
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/beeffordinner/

West African Beef and Peanut Stew
Makes 8 hearty servings
1 tbsp coconut oil
¾ lb raw beef chuck, cut into chunks
2 large onions, diced
¼ tsp jalapeno powder (optional)
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 large carrot, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
8 green onions (scallions), diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 cups low-sodium, gluten free beef broth (homemade or storebought)
1 (15-oz) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
12 new potatoes, halved (quartered if large)
½ cup chunky natural peanut butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup (tightly packed) beet greens
  1. Add oil to a deep pot (I used my cast iron Dutch oven) and place over high heat.
  2. Add the beef chunks in one layer (do not crowd them).
  3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions. Cook, stirring, until softened.
  5. Stir in the spices and cook until fragrant.
  6. Add the carrot, celery and green onions and cook until just slightly softened, then add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno, and sauté for 2-3 more minutes.
  7. Add the broth, tomatoes, potatoes and browned beef.
  8. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, 2 ½ hours (if you find the stew getting too thick, add a little water). Meat should be fork-tender.
  9. Stir in the peanut butter, cover simmer 1 hour longer.
  10. Stir in beet greens and cook just until wilted.
  11. Taste and adjust seasonings, then serve.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 454.2
Total Fat: 17.5 g
Cholesterol: 27.2 mg
Sodium: 312.7 mg
Total Carbs: 51.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.8 g
Protein: 19.7 g

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