Beef Mafé

Method

1. Cut the beef into 3 cm cubes, pat dry with kitchen paper and season with half the salt and the pepper. Finely chop the onion and garlic and dice the tomato. Cut the carrot and sweet potato into 4 cm chunks and the cabbage into wedges, leaving the core on so they hold together.

   Add in this stepStewing beef (chuck or brisket), in 3 cm cubes 300 gSalt 0.4 tspBlack pepper ½ tsp

2. Heat the oil in a heavy 22 cm pot on medium-high heat and add the beef without the pieces touching. Brown for 8 min, turning, until coloured on all sides. If the pot is crowded the meat steams instead of browning, so for 3 or 4 servings do it in two batches.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 2 tbsp

   medium-high heat

3. Turn the heat down to medium heat, add the onion and cook for 6 min, scraping up the brown bits, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic for the last minute.

   Add in this stepOnion, finely chopped 150 gGarlic cloves, chopped 3

   medium heat

4. Add the tomato paste and chopped tomato and cook on medium-low heat for 4 min, stirring. Move on when the paste has darkened to brick red and smells sweet rather than sharp.

   Add in this stepTomato paste 2 tbspTomato, chopped 1

   medium-low heat

5. Put the peanut butter in a small bowl and loosen it with a ladle of the water until smooth, then pour it into the pot. Add the rest of the water, the crumbled stock cube, bay leaf, the whole chilli pierced with a knife tip and the rest of the salt. Bring to the boil on high heat, then set the lid ajar, turn down to low heat and simmer for 50 min. Peanut sauce sticks easily, so stir right down to the bottom every 10 minutes.

   Add in this stepSmooth unsweetened peanut butter 100 gWater 700 mlStock cube (beef or chicken) 1Bay leaf 1Scotch bonnet chilli, whole (or habanero) 1Salt 0.4 tsp

   high heat→low heat

6. Add the carrot, sweet potato and cabbage, push them under the sauce and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 min more. It is ready when a fork slides easily into the vegetables, the beef is tender and little pools of red peanut oil float on the surface. Too thick? Add a splash of water. Too thin? Simmer uncovered a few minutes. Remove the chilli and bay leaf.

   Add in this stepCarrot, in large chunks 150 gSweet potato or cassava, in 4 cm chunks 240 gWhite cabbage, cut into wedges 200 g

   medium-low heat

7. While the stew simmers, cook the rice. Rinse it until the water runs almost clear. Bring the rice water to the boil in a 16 cm pot on high heat, add the rice, cover, turn down to low heat and cook for 15 min. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes.

   Add in this stepLong-grain rice 160 gWater for the rice 320 ml

   high heat→low heat

8. Spoon rice onto plates and ladle over the beef, vegetables and plenty of peanut sauce.