Rooibos (Red Bush) Stewed Beef & Potatoes

The weather peeps in Cape Town has got it right, the weather is turning bad again, so we can look forward to another period of very cold and wet weather. Please let me remind one of how we pay it forward at All Jazz Radio. The Klutz makes a huge pot of heart-warming soup, normally Pea and Bacon, or a nice thick mixed vegetable stoup. I then fill a couple of flasks and take some disposable paper cups as I go on my journey through the day and when coming across someone who needs a cup of wholesome warming I give them a cuppa stoup. You see how simple and easy it is and the smile of gratitude really warms the bottom on my heart.

We look at the humble Rooibos today and according to Wikipedia its Anglicized pronunciation is roy-bos; Afrikaans pronunciation: [rɔːibɔs], meaning “red bush”; scientific name Aspalathus linearis) is a broom-like member of the legume family of plants growing in South Africa’s fynbos.

The generic name comes from the plant Calicotome villosa, aspalathos in Greek. This plant has very similar growth and flowers to the Rooibos plant. The specific name linearis comes from the plant’s linear growing structure and needle-like leaves.

The leaves are used to make a herbal tea called Rooibos or bush tea (esp. Southern Africa). The product has been popular in Southern Africa for generations and is now consumed in many countries. It is sometimes spelled rooibosch in accordance with the old Dutch etymology. due to its high level of antioxidants such as aspalathin and nothofagin, its lack of caffeine, and its low tannin levels Rooibos is purported to assist with nervous tension, allergies and digestive problems. So much for the medicinal side because today we have a wonderful recipe for a tasty rich and thick Rooibos Stewed Beef & Potatoes dish, which is bestserved on a bed of fluffy white rice and a veg side of Brussels Sprouts with crispy Bacon finished off with some farm butter. Have a nice crunchy fresh French baguette or rolls. Nothing could be better on a chilly winters day in the Southern hemisphere. Geniet die maaltyd. J

Serves: 6 hungry Peeps

Ingredients

20ml loose Rooibos Tea

1litre water

2 large onions

4 medium potatoes

4 medium carrots

2 garlic cloves

500g Soft Shin/Stewing Beef

30ml flour

15ml olive oil

15ml tomato concentrate

1ml Peanut Butter

60ml Red Wine Vinegar

2 sticks cinnamon

400g can of butter, speckled sugar beans or whatever you’ve got in your cupboard

Method

Place the Rooibos Tea in the centre of a square piece of muslin cloth, fold the cloth and tie with string, in the manner of bouquet garni, use a big enough piece of cloth to allow the Rooibos Tea to move freely inside.

Alternatively you can leave the tea loose and strain after brewing.

Pour the water into a pot, add the Rooibos Tea, bring to the boil and remove from the heat, allowing the tea to brew for 5 minutes

At the end of 5 minutes remove the bagged tea or strain through a fine meshed sieve to remove all the loose Rooibos tea, discard the used tea and set the brewed Rooibos Tea aside

Peel and slice the onions

Peel and cube the potatoes

Scrape the carrots and cut into 1cm rings

Crush the garlic cloves

Remove as much sinew from the beef as possible and cut into bite sized cubes

Coat the beef with flour, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the beef and braise until the it is well browned

Add the onions, garlic and tomato concentrate and cook for 2 minutes Pour the Rooibos infusion into the pot, add the peanut butter, red wine vinegar and cinnamon

Bring the mixture to the boil and then immediately reduce the heat until the Rooibos stew is at a very slow simmer

Cover the saucepan with it’s lid and allow to simmer for 2½ hours or until the beef is tender

Add the potatoes and carrots, salt and pepper to taste and cook for a further 25 minutes until the potatoes are almost soft

Add the can of beans and cook for a further 10 minutes on low heat

Remove the cinnamon sticks, then enjoy a glass of refreshing tea.