BEEF AND RED WINE POTJIE WITH GARLIC DUMPLINGS

The right fluff

Make sure your stewing beef has more meat on it than bones.

Ingredients

(serves 6 with leftovers)

¼ cup olive oil

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

2 medium-sized carrots, coarsely chopped

1,8 kg stewing beef (use short rib, thick rib, or shank) 2 tablespoons tomato paste

6 garlic cloves, finely crushed

1 cup red wine salt and black pepper

2 cups beef stock, plus extra as needed

1 teaspoon dry oregano

2 bay leaves

1 kg sliced roasting vegetables – we used pumpkin, broccoli, and sweet potato

FOR THE DUMPLINGS

¼ cup garlic butter (we used the one from Parmalat) 2 cups self-raising flour

1 cup buttermilk a generous pinch of salt

Here’s how

1 Heat the oil in a saucepan or flat-bottomed potjie over the coals and fry the onion and carrot until fragrant. Add the meat and fry until it’s nicely golden brown all over.

2 Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and give the potjie one last stir before adding the wine. Boil briskly until half of the wine has boiled away. Season with salt and pepper, stir in the oregano, bay leaves, and stock, and simmer the potjie for 2-3 hours or until the meat is tender. How much time you’ll need is determined by the heat of the potjie, the type of meat cut and, well, how much you’re socialising.

3Add more liquid so the meat is covered and then place the vegetables on top of the meat. Replace the lid and put a few coals on top and allow to cook slowly for another hour or so until the vegetables are tender.

4For the dumplings, rub the garlic butter into the flour using your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the buttermilk and cut it in with a knife. Once the dough comes together, turn it out and knead until smooth. Use extra flour to prevent it from sticking to the surface.

5 Flatten the dough into a 2 cm thick disc, cut that into 15 cubes, and roll each into a ball. Pack the dumplings on the surface of the potjie contents. Make sure there’s enough space for them to rise without getting stuck to the lid. Double check there’s still enough liquid in to steam the dumplings. Put the lid on and steam everything for 30 minutes or until the dumplings have risen and are cooked. Test one with a toothpick – if it comes out clean, it’s ready.

Drive & Camp says If you prefer a thicker sauce, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of flour with the meat as you fry it. www.weg.co.za