Luxury seswaa
4 to 6
Easy
30 minutes
2 hours 30 minutes
An elevated take on traditional Setswana seswaa, a.k.a. tshotlo, slow-cooked to perfection, bolstered with red wine and a rich beef stock, and enhanced with aromatics. Pair with pap or sorghum porridge for a traditional meal, or roasted vegetables and creamy polenta for a fancier version.
Ingredients
Method
- 2 kg bone-in beef shortrib (I recommend large, meaty pieces with long bones, not thin, cross-cut slices)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 T vegetable oil or beef tallow
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 cup red wine (I recommend Merlot)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 t dried)
- 2 bay leaves
- 3–4 cups beef stock
- polenta, for serving
- grated Parmesan, for sprinkling
- fresh thyme, to garnish
Method
Ingredients
1. Pat dry the shortrib with kitchen paper and season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil or tallow in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium-high heat and sear the shortrib in batches for 3–4 minutes on each side until deeply browned all over. Remove the ribs from the pan and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté the onion in the same pan for 5–7 minutes until softened and golden.
4. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping off any browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until slightly reduced.
5. Return the shortrib to the pan and add the thyme, bay leaves and enough beef stock to cover the meat.
6. Bring to a gentle simmer, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Braise for 2 hours 30 minutes, or until the meat is fork-tender and easily pulls away from the bone.
7. Remove the shortrib from the pan and allow to cool slightly, then discard the bones and any large pieces of fat.
8. Strain the braising liquid into a clean bowl, discarding the solids. Return the liquid to the pan and simmer to reduce to about 1 cup.
9. Return the meat to the pan and, using a wooden spoon, vigorously pound the meat until tender and slightly fibrous but still cohesive. Remove any remaining silver skin or sinew that hasn’t broken down.
10. Simmer the meat in the reduced liquid for a few minutes to combine the flavours. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving with polenta (or a side of your choice) sprinkled with Parmesan and garnished with thyme.
Videographer: Romy Wilson
Food Assistant: Leila Ann
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