Sunday Beef Pot Roast-Style Stew

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg beef potjiekos pieces
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tsp BlixSam Steakhouse
• 1½ tsp BlixSam Smoke Craft
• 1 tsp BlixSam Arm Maat
• 2 large onions, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ cup BlixSam Yanky BBQ Sauce
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 medium potatoes, quartered
• 4 carrots, cut into large chunks
• 1 tbsp butter
• Black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley to finish

• Fluffy white rice
• Green beans, peas, pumpkin or your favourite Sunday vegetables

Method

1. Season the beef: Pat the potjiekos pieces dry and season generously with Steakhouse, Smoke Craft + Arm Maat.
2. Brown it properly: Heat the oil in a heavy pot. Brown the beef in small batches over fairly high heat until you have a deep caramelised crust. Remove and set aside.
3. Brown the onions: Add the onions to the same pot and cook for 6–8 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
4. Build the gravy: Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the beef stock, Yanky BBQ Sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Scrape all those browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
5. Return the beef to the pot and add the bay leaves. Cover and simmer gently for about 1½ hours.
6. Add the potatoes and carrots, keeping them in fairly large pieces so they hold their shape during the slow cooking.
7. Cover again and cook for another 35–45 minutes, until the beef is fall-apart tender and the vegetables are beautifully soft.
8. Remove the lid and simmer for 10–15 minutes to reduce the cooking liquid into a rich, glossy gravy. If you want it thicker, mash one small potato piece into the sauce.
9. Stir through the butter, remove the bay leaves and finish with fresh parsley.
10. Serve Sunday-lunch style: Spoon fluffy white rice onto the plate, add the tender beef, carrots and potatoes and pour plenty of that rich brown gravy over the rice. Add green beans, peas, pumpkin or other vegetables on the side.