Hey, so I made this. Here's my basic recipe based on the video as well as my estimated amounts of ingredients. It turned out pretty close I'd say!
Be liberal with the cilantro, it's the star herb here and plays really well with rosemary.
Beef Stew from the TikTok video (probably Potjie?)
Ingredients:
1000 g chuck roast or flat cut brisket, cut into bite sized cubes
1 large onion, cut into chunks
3 medium carrots, cut into chunks
4-5 stalks celery, sliced
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1200 ml chicken stock
450 g mushrooms, quartered
450 g baby potatoes
45 g tomato paste
10 ml balsamic vinegar
5 ml worchestershire sauce
2 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
1 bunch chopped cilantro (to your liking)
All purpose flour
Salt
Pepper
High-heat oil such as sunflower oil
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F
Slice the beef and season with a heavy pinch of salt, pepper, and a dusting of flour. Just enough flower to barely coat the surface.
In a dutch oven over medium-high heat with oil, sear the beef on two sides, approximately 5 mins per side, checking for browning. Do this in batches as to not overcrowd the pan. Reserve the cooked beef in a bowl.
Add more oil to the pan as needed for the vegetables and lower the heat to medium. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Sweat the onion for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add a small spoon of flour and mix into the onions and garlic. Stir constantly for 30 seconds. Add balsamic vinegar, stir constantly for another 30 seconds. Use a heavy splash of chicken stock to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon.
Add celery, carrots, and another pinch of salt and mix well. Let cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots begin to brown and soften. Add tomato paste and mix well. Let the paste darken and brown bit until nice and fragrant, about 1 min.
Add 1000 ml chicken stock by first adding a splash, deglazing, then add the rest of the stock. Stir. Mix in the cooked beef. Bring to a simmer. Add rosemary and thyme. Add more broth if mixture is not covered.
Transfer to oven and let braise for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, in a frying pan, sautee the quartered mushrooms with a pinch of salt in oil on medium heat until golden brown and when they've released most of their moisture. About 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and reserve.
After 2 hours of cooking, remove the thyme and rosemary sprigs from the dutch oven. Check the beef for tenderness. If the beef is not tender yet, let cook for another 20 minutes.
If it's tender, add worchestershire sauce, cooked mushrooms, and baby potatoes. Stir to combine.
Add enough water so the liquid in the pot is just covering its contents. Cook for another 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and place on stove. Check the stew, the liquid should have reduced and thickened. Potatoes should be tender. If not, cook uncovered on medium heat another 10 mins until tender and the liquid reduces.
Remove from heat. Stir in a handful or two chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper as necessary. Serve immediately.
