Nigeria – Beef Stew

by Verdzekov Bernard

Cooking is passion for some people. Some take It as a source of living. Honestly, it is a nice experience. Women are born already having the capabilities of cooking. Others are born, they grow to learn and become experts. But not just woman, men do cook too. And we cook well. Beef stew is delicious soup, unlike normal stew, the extra ingredient we will use here is red win. This wine helps to give the stew a rich content and flavor as well. 

Cooking soups, there are ingredients that must repeat. Ingredients like salt, maggi, oil and sometimes, onions and garlics and even ginger. These are components that make up a good soup, though not mentioned all. Most at times, cooks or people with less experience or people who are not to familiar with cooking may be scared when they hear of soups they are not familiar with or a particular cuisine. But nevertheless, you shouldn’t be scared. When you hear of Egusi soup for example, the made ingredient there is Egusi, then followed by the normal ingredients for cooking Egusi soup. This goes for all soups. Just one ingredient could change, and this ingredient gives the soup its name. To prepare beef stew, follow guide below;

Ingredients

• Pepper (Red bell pepper and green)
• Salt to taste
• Maggi
• Carrot and green beans (optional)
• Ginger (optional)
• 2 large Onion bulbs
• Vegetable oil
• 4 garlics gloves 
• Tomatoes
• Curry powder
• 1 teaspoon of paprika powder
• Half glass of dry red wine

Procedure

• Like in my other articles on local cuisine, each time I write on a particular cuisine where tomatoes is to be used, I make sure I remind the readers and those that will love to practice or cook that, boiling your tomatoes is essential before you go on with cooking. This is because I learn from my errors which I think you know. Boiling tomatoes is essential. 
• Boil your tomatoes. This should take about 15-20min.
• Remove and drain the water and blend. After blending, put tomatoes aside. 
• Chop your onions and pepper and keep aside.
• Wash your beef so well. Cut into desirable slices and boil. Make sure you keep the stock. The essence of always trying to keep stock is that, during boiling process, so much nutrients dissolve in water and at such, if you throw the water you will definitely loss the dissolve nutrients. 
• Blend your onions, pepper and garlics and keep aside. 
• Using the main cooking pot, turn your vegetable oil into it, stand on low heat. When oil is hot, put your blend onions, pepper and garlics and stir. This should be for about 3min, add your red wine and allow to boil for about 2min.
• Add your tomatoes and stir well. Add vegetable oil if necessary and stir well. add your full red bell pepper, which could be green or yellow or red. This is for presentation. Allow ingredients to cook for like 25min. make sure you stirring to avoid burns.
• If using carrot and green beans. By now, you should have washed and slice and boiled with some salt to taste. Add into the stew and stir. 
• Add your beef and stir. Add with stock. Allow pot open while cooking for about 20-25min. Add curry powder. Stir and allow for 5mins more. 
• Your beef stew is ready. 

Serve with white rice or ripe plantains or fried ripe plantains.