Honest SA Country Style: Drostdy-Hof Merlot and Beef Potjie
Winter's the time for heartwarming South African country-style food. So bring back the potjie for a delicious beef short rib dish. It makes a truly tasty treat with Drostdy-Hof’s Winemaker's Collection Merlot, brimming with soft and juicy red berry flavours and a hint of spicy oak that matches the lovely spicy notes of the dish itself.
Ingredients:
60 ml olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
125 ml flour
5 ml coriander
5 ml cinnamon
5 ml salt
2 kg beef short rib
Bouquet garni: 6 parsley stalks, 2 thyme stalks and 2 bay leaves tied with kitchen string
500 ml beef stock
250 ml Drostdy-Hof Winemaker's Collection Merlot
300 g pickling onions, peeled
4 juniper berries
4 star anise seeds
4 pieces of cassia
500 g sweet potato, peeled and cubed
500 g butternut cubes
Salt and ground black pepper
Method:
1. Prepare fire as usual ensuring enough coals to cook a potjie.
2. Heat the oil in medium sized cast iron potjie and gently fry the onion, carrot, celery and garlic until golden. Remove from the potjie and set aside.
3. Combine the flour, coriander, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl. Dust the short rib pieces with the seasoned flour. Shake off any excess flour. In the same potjie brown the pieces of meat in small batches until golden.
4. Return the vegetables to the potjie. Add the bouquet garni, beef stock and Drostdy-Hof Winemaker’s Collection Merlot, juniper berries, anise seeds and cassis, season to taste. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 ½ hours or until the meat comes off the bone. Add the sweet potato and butternut and cook for another 30 minutes until soft.
5. Serve warm with creamy polenta or rice and enjoy with Drostdy-Hof Winemaker’s Collection Merlot.
Serves 6-8
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