Beef and Stout Potjie is a traditional South African recipe for a classic fusion stew of beef, carrots and potatoes cooked in a potjie in an Irish Stout base. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic South African version of: Beef and Stout Potjie.
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This is a South African fusion recipe, effectively an adaptation of the classic dish of beef cooked in Irish stout. Though Guinness might be the most famous example of dry Irish stout, it has a sour note that needs sweetening. I would say that a non-sour dry Irish stout, an English Porter or an oatmeal stout would work just as well. This recipe, designed for the braai (barbecue) also contains potatoes, in true South African stew (potjie). This also means that you only need one cook-pot and you can serve this truly hearty stew with just a loaf of crusty bread to accompany.
Add the oil to a potjie (Dutch oven) place on your barbecue, add the onions and celery, frying them for about 6 minutes, or until they begin to brown. At this point add the beef and garlic and sprinkle over the salt and black pepper. Fry for a few minutes, turning the meat occasionally until the meat has coloured to your liking. Pour in the beer and use it to deglaze the pot. Now stir in the bayleaves and thyme.
Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir the tomato purée into the beef stock and add to the pot. Scatter over the potatoes and carrots and stir to combine. Cover and simmer all the ingredients for 90 minutes.
When the meat is tender and the vegetables are cooked blend the cornflour with 4 tbsp water to a smooth slurry. Add this to the potjie and stir to combine. Allow the gravy to thicken slightly then serve immediately, accompanied by crusty bread.
