Namibian beef stew

Name: Namibian beef stew
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 160 min
Total time: 190 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Namibie
Ingredients: 800 g boneless trimmed beef chuck, in 4 cm cubes; 15 g rapeseed oil; 250 g sliced onions; 300 g chopped tomatoes without added salt; 250 g carrots in 3 cm pieces; 300 g white cabbage in thick strips; 80 g dry pearl barley; 10 g chopped garlic; 3 g sweet paprika; 2 bay leaves; 1 g ground black pepper; 900 g hot water; 4 g fine salt

Beef simmered with bay, carrots, pearl barley and cabbage for a complete one-pot meal.

Ingredients

800 g boneless trimmed beef chuck, in 4 cm cubes
15 g rapeseed oil
250 g sliced onions
300 g chopped tomatoes without added salt
250 g carrots in 3 cm pieces
300 g white cabbage in thick strips
80 g dry pearl barley
10 g chopped garlic
3 g sweet paprika
2 bay leaves
1 g ground black pepper
900 g hot water
4 g fine salt

Preparation

During the 30 min preparation, cut beef, remove large fat deposits and pat cubes dry. Prepare onions, carrots and cabbage separately. Rinse pearl barley in a fine sieve, drain and keep in a clean bowl; soaking is unnecessary for this method. Measure the 900 g water. Keep beef refrigerated until cooking starts and clean equipment that touched raw meat.

Heat the 15 g oil in a casserole and sear beef in two batches for 12 min total, letting each side brown before turning. Set pieces aside in a cooking container. Add onions and cook for 8 min over medium heat. A spoonful of the measured water can release the base if needed without adding fat.

Add garlic, paprika and pepper, then tomatoes. Cook while stirring and gradually deglaze with hot water, allowing 10 min for this entire step. Return beef and its juices, add bay and the 4 g salt. Liquid should surround the meat; choose a suitable casserole rather than one so wide that it appears short of water from the start.

Cover and simmer for 1 h 20 min. Stir a few times and check that large cubes have reached at least 70 °C for 2 min. Test texture: they should already begin yielding to a fork. If chuck remains very resistant, extend covered cooking before adding grain; otherwise barley would absorb its liquid long before beef is ready.

Add drained barley and carrots, mix and continue covered at a gentle simmer for 40 min. Stir regularly near the base because barley releases starch. Add a little hot water only if grains no longer have enough liquid. Taste a grain with a clean spoon: it should be almost tender without a hard core before the final step.

Fold in cabbage and cook another 10 min, initially covered then uncovered if juices are excessive. Remove bay leaves. Check tender beef, easily pierced carrot and cooked barley before dividing into four portions. The 2 h 40 min includes all stages; extend if ingredients require it. Do not automatically add salt after reducing: mix and taste first.