OnTap Magazine

CATHY’S SUGGESTED WINE PAIRING It’s easy when you’re food pairing to forget to take sauces and garnishes into consideration and the key here is not to forget that tangy gremolata. I would go for a robust Cabernet Sauvignon such as The First Lady Cabernet from Warwick Wines, which has enough tannin to match the bold meaty flavours of the stew as well as fresh acidity to go with the zesty sauce on top. LUCY’S SUGGESTED BEER PAIRING It’s tempting to think “beef stew and Guinness” but there are so many more options here. The subtle spice of a rye ale will work well with the cloves, parsley and turmeric in the dish – try Rye the Beloved Country from Frontier, or Aegir Project’s Red Rye. Malt-forward styles work well with rich, meaty dishes. If you’re cooking in KZN, grab a Clockwork Schwarzbier or in the Eastern Cape, Richmond Hill’s Two Rand Man will easily stand up to the stew. (Serves 6) FOR THE STEW 1kg free range stewing beef, cut into chunks 30ml olive oil 2 onions, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, chopped a pinch of ground cloves 3 tsp turmeric powder 1 tin tomato paste 1 tin chopped tomatoes 500ml beef stock 2 bay leaves salt and pepper to taste FOR THE GREMOLATA handful of fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped zest of 1 lemon 20ml olive oil Preheat oven to 150°C. In an ovenproof pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the chopped onions until translucent. Add the garlic and fry for a minute. Add the beef and brown evenly. Add the cloves and turmeric and fry for a minute. Add the tomato paste and fry for a further minute. Add the tinned tomatoes, beef stock and bay leaves. Put a lid on the pot. Cook for 10 minutes to get the contents hot. Pop into the oven and cook for approximately four hours, checking every now and then to see that there is still enough liquid in the pot. If not, top up with some boiling water. Mix together the gremolata ingredients. Serve with pap (preferably), mash or rice and gremolata. Don’t forget to taste the dish with Cathy and Lucy’s suggested pairings and be sure to pick a winner. MAIN COURSE N1 CITY STEW ORIGIN STORY This recipe has a beautiful story. Some years ago I was hospitalised at N1 City Hospital following a heart attack. I had the usual choices to make for meals and one of them was a beef stew which I really wanted to have with pap. There was no pap on the menu but they made some for me. The stew was absolutely delicious and to this day probably one of the best meals I've ever had, including those in fancy schmancy restaurants. I asked the nursing staff to thank the chef for me and before I knew it he was standing at my bed and so I got to thank him personally. When I got home I set out to recreate this marvel of a dish and, well, this is my version of what I had. FEATURE 24 | Winter 2020 | ontapmag.co.za