Potjie No: 3
Serves: 6
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Ingredients
15ml cake flour
5ml mixed herbs
5ml paprika
375ml beer
1kg beef fillet, cubed
250ml beef stock
15ml butter
1 packet of tomato soup powder
15ml oil
1 bay leaf
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
15ml vinegar
15ml white sugar
10ml Maizena
8 green beans, cut up
Salt and pepper to taste
4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
Method
Coat the meat with a mixture of the flour and paprika.
Heat the oil and butter in the pot and brown the meat.
Remove the meat and brown the onions and sugar until the onions is nice and soft.
Add the beans, carrots and garlic, cover with the lid and allow the pot to simmer for about 5 minutes.
Replace the meat and stir in the herbs, beer, beef stock, soup powder and bay leaf.
Cover with the lid and allow the pot to simmer for a final hour or until the meat is soft (stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon).
Mix the vinegar and cornflour and stir in.
Simmer until the gravy has thickened and season with salt and pepper.
So I made this potjie…because the fillet is so expensive, I rather put in sirloin steak…What a mistake…I simmered it for two hours and the meat was still a bit tough. Also I think I made a fatal error putting some salt on the meat when it was still raw, as well as some salt at the end, as the potjie ended up being a bit to salty. So I think to be fair to the creator / inventor of the recipe I will do the following
1. put fillet steak in
2. Not salt the meat when raw
only then I will be able to comment on whether this is a good recipe or note
Do not use packet soup. Add 1 tin of diced tomatoes then let the meat simmer in the potjie for at least an hour after before adding the rest of the infredients and simmering for another hour and 30 minutes.
This is a great recipe and a family favourite! Rather use soft shin and shin bones instead of fillet. Add Ginger to the recipe and throw in some whole baby tomatoes. Use dark stout beer for a rich flavour.
I have not tried this yet but find identical recipe in a few places on the web. This version however misses the following instruction at the end: “Mix the vinegar and cornflour and stir in. Simmer until the gravy has thickened and season with salt and pepper.”
Want to try it soon, if I can afford the fillet!
I have always used good quality rump as I find it tastier than fillet and it has always come out super tender. I also add carrotts and cubed potatoes and this receipt has always been a winner.
Left the sugar out. Used cut up round steak. about half a can of tomato paste instead of tomato soup. a dark stout and a miler light. Also threw some mushrooms, extra garlic, and small potatoes on top. Really delicious! Made it a few times and will make more.