Tag: beef

Boerewors

Boerewors

Boerewors

Boerewors is a popular South African sausage. The sausage is made up of 2/3 beef, 1/3 pork; with coriander, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and malt vinegar, with gives the sausage a particular taste that is specific to South Africa. The malt vinegar also acts as a preservative. The sausage is typically grilled in an untwisted single coil link. But you can definitely twist it into links and eat it on a bun. If you don’t have a grill, you can pan fry the sausage, or even broil it.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: south african
Keyword: Beef, main course, Pork, south african, Southern African
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • grinder
  • sausage stuffer

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs beef chuck
  • 1 1/2 lbs pork shoulder
  • 2 tbsp ground coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/3 cup malt vinegar
  • hog casings

Instructions

  • Mix all of the spices together.
    South African, main course, pork, beef
  • Grind the chuck and pork shoulder on a medium grind plate 1 time through. Mix in all of the spices and the malt vinegar.
    South African, main course, beef, pork
  • Let rest for an hour before stuffing to let the ingredients meld.
    South African, main course, beef, pork
  • Pipe the sausage through a sausage stuffer. I like to use the KitchenAde grinder and sausage stuffer attachments when it’s time to work the beef hammers.
    South African, main course, beef, pork
  • You can leave the sausage untwisted in a single coil, or you can twist them into 6” links. Let rest for a good 4 hours before cooking.
    South African, main course, beef, pork
  • Heat up a sauté pan with a tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat. Add in the sausages.
    South African, main course, beef, pork
  • Sauté for 12-14 minutes, flipping every few minutes to cook evenly.
    South African, main course, beef, pork
South African, main course, beef, pork
Boerewors goes great with a side of mashed green beans.
Suugo (Somali Spaghetti Sauce)

Suugo (Somali Spaghetti Sauce)

Suugo (Somali Spaghetti Sauce)

Suugo is the Somali version of spaghetti sauce. Baasta iyo suugo translates to pasta in sauce. Italy once colonized the southern part of Somalia, introducing garlic and onion to their cuisine. Suugo specifically uses red onion, green bell pepper, and beef stew meat. The addition of xawaash gives the tomato sauce a unique savory flavor. Suugo is garnished with cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. And with most Somali dishes, a banana is served on the side. Sounds weird, but it works.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Somali
Keyword: Beef, East African, main course, noodles, Somali
Servings: 4
Author: Alex Gorgos

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 5 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat 1/2” cubes
  • 2 medium tomatoes diced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp xawaash
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 lb spaghetti al dente
  • bananas 1 per person

Garnish

  • cilantro chopped
  • lime juice

Instructions

  • Heat up cooking oil in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. Sauté the onions and green peppers for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
    Somali, main course, beef
  • Add in the beef. Sauté for 5 minutes until browned.
    Somali, main course, beef
  • Add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, xawaash, sugar, and black pepper. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes.
    Somali, main course, beef
  • Uncover. Season with salt.
    Somali, main course, beef
Somali, main course, beef
Garnish with cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve a banana on the side.

Xawaash

Xawaash (pronounced hawaaj) is a complex spice blend used in Somali cuisine; much like berbere is used in Ethiopian cuisine. It is used in dishes such as suugar, a meat and vegetable stew, and suugo, a Somali pasta sauce. I highly recommend that you lightly dry toast the whole spices. It completely changes the flavor, making the xawaash more aromatic.
Prep Time8 minutes
Course: Spice
Cuisine: Somali
Keyword: East African, Somali, Spice
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • Spice grinder

Ingredients

Whole Spices

  • 3 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 3 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 2 tsp green cardamom pods
  • 1 tsp whole cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Ground Spices

  • 1 tbsp ground sage
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger
  • 1 tbsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions

  • Dry toast the whole spices in a skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes.
    Somali, spice
  • Grind the whole spice in a spice grinder. Mix together with the other ground spices. Store in a container for up to 3 months.
    Somali, spice
Machaca con Heuvos

Machaca con Heuvos

Machaca con Heuvos

The first time I’ve had machaca was in Vegas at my favorite taco joint, Roberto’s. Machaca is shredded dried beef, sort of like jerky without the smoke, cooked with onions and tomatoes in scrambled eggs. They served it with beans and tortillas. It was so good, I went back the next night and had it in a giant burrito.
You can find machaca and any latin grocery store. I actually found some at my local Asian market in their Mexican section. It is sold shredded in containers or in whole pieces. If you buy the whole pieces, the best way to shred is in a food processor.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Beef, breakfast, Eggs, Latin American, main course, Mexican
Servings: 2
Author: Alex Gorgos

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup white onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup dried beef
  • 1/2 cup tomatoes chopped
  • 1 serrano pepper chopped
  • 3 large eggs beaten
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Heat up cooking oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions for 4 minutes.
    Mexican, main course, breakfast, beef
  • Add in the dried beef. Sauté for 5 minutes.
    Mexican, main course, breakfast, beef, eggs
  • If the oil has been soaked up by the beef, add another tbsp. Add in the tomatoes and serrano peppers. Sauté for 5 minutes.
    Mexican, main course, breakfast, beef, eggs
  • Lower the heat. Pour in the eggs and scramble. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
    Mexican, main course, breakfast, eggs, beef
  • Season with salt.
    Mexican, main course, beef, breakfast, eggs
Mexican, main course, breakfast, eggs, beef
Serve with tortillas, cheese, and salsa.