Spiced eland potjie

Ingredients

150g pork spek, chopped 2 large carrots, finely chopped

3 leeks, washed, rinsed and chopped

200g fatty back bacon 2kg eland meat, cubed 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock Coarse salt to taste

Eland marinade:

1 cup red jerepigo

1 cup Merlot

2 Tbsp brown grape vinegar

1/2 cup Mrs HS Ball’s original recipe chutney 3 garlic cloves, chopped

Peel and juice of 1 late-season orange 4 rosemary sprigs

1 Tbsp Szechuan peppercorns

1 tsp chilli flakes

2 tsp crushed coriander seeds

1 tsp crushed black pepper

1/2 tsp coarse salt

Method

• Start the previous day. Mix all marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the eland meat and massage it with clean hands so all the meat is well covered.

• Refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge an hour before cooking it.

• Have coals ready and a clean potjie. Put coals underneath and let it get hot. Add the pork spek and leave it to sizzle for a few minutes.

• Add the carrots and leeks, cook for five minutes, stirring now and then, and then add the diced back bacon.

• Cook, stirring, for another five minutes.

• Add the meat and all its marinade ingredients (everything including the peel) and the vegetable or chicken stock, season with salt, stir, and put the lid on.

• Keep the coals low but regular for several hours while the meat becomes tender. Mine cooked for four hours. The cooking stock should remain wet throughout, but if it does begin to dry up (which will mean you’ve been putting too many coals under the potjie), add water or stock and let it return to a simmer.

• Serve with mashed potato, pap or rice.