Beef with peanut (mafe) stew

Name: Beef with peanut (mafe) stew
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients: 4 lb (2 kg) Canadian Beef blade roast, boneless, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) cubes; 2 tablespoons (30 mL) fine sea or kosher salt; 1 tablespoon (15 mL) lemon pepper, or coarse black pepper; 5 tablespoons (75 mL) canola or peanut oil, divided; 1/4 cup (60 mL) dark brown sugar; 1/2 medium onion, sliced; 3 cloves of garlic, minced; 1/4 cup (60 mL) tomato paste; 1 teaspoon (5 mL) fresh thyme leaves; 2 cups (500 mL), diced tomatoes, canned; 4 cups (900 mL) beef stock, heated; 1 cup (250 mL) natural creamy peanut butter (or almond butter); 1 bay leaf; 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, diced (or 1 whole pepper for less heat); 2 Caribbean sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes; 2 cups (500 mL) baby carrots; 1 lemon, zested thinly into 1-inch strips; 1/2 cup (125 mL) roasted peanuts, chopped; 1/3 cup (80 mL) curly parsley, picked off stem; 2 cloves of garlic, minced

By Raquel Fox

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A quintessential West African Senegalese stew that’s simply divine. It’s a succulent Canadian beef pot roast cut into chunks and braised in a tasty and spicy tomato-based peanut stew.

Find more recipes from Chef Raquel Fox here.

SERVES

TO

Ingredients

4 lb (2 kg) Canadian Beef blade roast, boneless, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) cubes
2 tablespoons (30 mL) fine sea or kosher salt
1 tablespoon (15 mL) lemon pepper, or coarse black pepper
5 tablespoons (75 mL) canola or peanut oil, divided
1/4 cup (60 mL) dark brown sugar
1/2 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup (60 mL) tomato paste
1 teaspoon (5 mL) fresh thyme leaves
2 cups (500 mL), diced tomatoes, canned
4 cups (900 mL) beef stock, heated
1 cup (250 mL) natural creamy peanut butter (or almond butter)
1 bay leaf
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, diced (or 1 whole pepper for less heat)
2 Caribbean sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
2 cups (500 mL) baby carrots

Peanut gremolata garnish:

1 lemon, zested thinly into 1-inch strips
1/2 cup (125 mL) roasted peanuts, chopped
1/3 cup (80 mL) curly parsley, picked off stem
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Transfer beef cubes to a large plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Season generously all over with salt and lemon pepper, set aside.
In a six-quart (six litre) Dutch Oven, heat three tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the sugar, stir to melt, add the beef cubes in batches to the pot and sear on all sides for about three minutes per side to caramelize, set aside, repeat with the other cubes.
Add remaining oil to pot and heat, add onion, let cook for one minute, add garlic, cook until fragrant for one minute, add tomato paste, thyme, stir and cook for an additional minute.
Add diced tomatoes, cook for three minutes while scraping bottom of pot. Add the heated stock to a medium bowl and stir in the peanut butter, add mixture to the pot and bring to a boil.
Return the beef to the pot, add bay leaf and Scotch bonnet pepper, cover with lid, transfer to oven and cook for 90 minutes. Carefully add potatoes, carrots and cook for remaining 30 minutes or until beef is fork tender and vegetables are cooked. Remove from oven, skim off any fat at the top, adjust seasoning.
Toss ingredients for the gremolata into a small dish. Add the stew to a large bowl, garnish with Peanut Gremolata and serve with fluffy rice.
Tip: For a thicker stew add 1/3 cup peanut butter to one cup of the hot stew broth, return to pot and simmer for five to ten minutes.