Nigerian Beef Stew with Fresh Red Chili

Name: Nigerian Beef Stew with Fresh Red Chili
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 110 min
Total time: 135 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 lb beef chuck, cut into large chunks; 2 yellow onions, 1 quartered, 1 sliced; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp curry powder; 2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped; 4 plum tomatoes, chopped; 1 scotch bonnet pepper, stemmed; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 2 bay leaves; 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste; 1 fresh red chili, sliced, for garnish

Beef simmered in a blended base of red bell pepper, tomato and scotch bonnet, then fried down in oil until the sauce turns deep red and sweet. Serve with rice or plantain chips.

4.7 342 cooks rated this

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 1 hr 50 min
Serves: 6
Level: Easy

Free recipe Jump to method

In Lagos kitchens this stew is made by the potful on Sunday and eaten all week. The trick is frying the pepper puree in oil after most of its water has cooked off, which removes the raw tomato taste and gives the sauce its dark brick color. The beef is boiled first with onion and bouillon, and that stock goes back into the pot. One scotch bonnet brings real heat; seed it if your crowd is cautious, and add slices of fresh red chili at the end for color.

Ingredients

Serves 6

Method

Put the beef, quartered onion, thyme, curry powder and 1 tsp salt in a pot with 4 cups water. Simmer covered for 45 minutes until the beef is just tender, then strain and save the stock.
Done
Blend the bell peppers, tomatoes and scotch bonnet until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and boil over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until reduced by about a third.
Done
Heat the oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat. Add the beef and fry 6 to 8 minutes, turning, until the edges are browned; lift it out.
Done
Fry the sliced onion in the same oil for 4 minutes, then add the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes more until it darkens.
Done
Add the reduced pepper puree and bay leaves. Fry, stirring often, for 20 minutes until the oil rises to the surface and the sauce is thick and deep red.
Done
Return the beef with 1 1/2 cups of the saved stock. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes until the sauce clings to the meat, then season with the rest of the salt.
Done
Serve topped with the sliced red chili, with rice or crisp plantain chips alongside.
Done

Hand lifting the lid of a red Dutch oven on a stove — Checking the braise under the Dutch oven lid

Hand seasoning a pot of broth beside a pan of browned meat — Seasoning the broth beside a pan of browned meat

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