African(West) Beef Stew with Steamed Rice

This has quickly become one of my favorite meals.  A lot of great flavors developed for a stew that only needs to cook for about an hour.  Stew is best served next to the rice, not on it.

Modified from this recipe:
http://www.africanbites.com/beef-stewafrican-style/

Equipment:
Blender, Stove, Large Pot, Small pot with a top(or rice steamer) required.  2 Large pots will make life easier.


1.5-2 lbs Stew Beef, more marbleized the better.
1/2 cup canola oil
4 roma tomatoes
1 can(~15oz) tomatoe sauce
1 large yellow onion, roughly diced
6 garlic cloves
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp white pepper
1 tbsp celery salt
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp summer savory (optional)
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
salt and pepper to taste

1/4-1 habanero pepper (optional, 1/4 is lightly spicey, 1 full is moderately spicey)

1 cup of your favorite white rice.  I usually use jasmine.
1 tbsp coconut oil (optional for rice)

Beef Stew:

• Start a large pot 1/2 full of water boiling with salt and pepper(maybe 1 tbsp of each) and ~1/3 of the yellow onion.
• Once water has started to boil add the stew beef, cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes for the first 10 minutes to make sure the beef doesn't stick together or burn on the bottom.

• While the beef cooks, combine the remaining onion, tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, parsely, thyme, and optional summer savory and habanero.
• Blend to a puree
• Set aside.

• Once the beef is done boiling start another large pot over medium-high heat with the oil in it.
• Remove beef from the first pot, make sure to keep the broth, we'll keep using this for the stew and rice.
• Pat beef dry with paper a towel
• Add the mostly dry beef to the oil and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.  Just enough to brown the outside.
• Be careful whenever you add ingredients to hot oil, it will sputter and possibly pop hot oil out of the pan.  I always try to be ready to cover it with a towel or pot top.
• Remove beef from the oil and set aside, keeping remaining oil in the pot.

• Add the contents of the blender to the pot with oil.
• Add the curry powder, ground tumeric, smoked paprika, white pepper.
• Add 2 cups of the beef broth that we set aside from.
• Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes.
• You can adjust the consistency to your taste by simmering longer or adding more broth if it gets too thick.
• After 30-40 minutes add the cooked beef and cook for 10-15 minute longer.

Bonus Vegetables!

• While the Stew sauce is simmering you can boil some vegetables in the the excess beef broth.  The broth will add a very nice extra flavor to them.  Carrots or Bok Choy both go great with the stew.

Stove Top Rice (you could make this in a rice steamer just as well):

• Add 2 cups of the broth from above to a small pot with a top.
• Add coconut oil to the broth and bring to a boil.
• While broth comes to a boil, add 1 cup rice to a small bowl.
• Cover rice with cold water and mix with your finger tips until the water becomes milky white, this removes excess starch from the rice.
• Strain the water from the bowl.
• Once water is boiling turn temperature down between low and medium.
• Add rice.
• Give it a quick stir to loosen up the grains, they will want to stick as soon as they hit the hot water.
• Cover and cook until all liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes.  Keep a close eye on this, you want to stop as soon as no liquid comes to the top of the rice if you tip the pot.
• Remove from heat and give it another quick stir to loosen the rice from the pot. (or empty to a storage container) 
• Store remaining beef broth for up to a week to cook more rice with.