Most people love a good, hearty beef curry, a dish that is especially good on a chilly winter’s day. So why not whip up this delicious Beef Rendang! It may take a little time and patience, but it is worth it!
Beef Rendang (serves 6)
Ingredients:
For the spice paste:
- 3 onions, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 5 red chillis, roughly chopped
- 2 stalks of lemongrass, chopped
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
For the curry:
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1.8 kg stewing beef
- 625 ml coconut milk
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 kaffir lime leaves
- 1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
- handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
- Rice to serve
Method:
Put the spice paste ingredients in a food processor and blitz to form a smooth paste. Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot and add the spice paste. Cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes. Dice the beef into 4 cm and 5 cm pieces and add to the paste, stirring to coat the meat. Add three-quarters of the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook over a very gentle heat for five hours, stirring occasionally. Place a wooden spoon across the top of the pot and rest the lid on it so that a little steam can escape. After five hours, stir in the remaining coconut milk, tamarind paste, brown sugar, makrut lime leaves and peanut butter. Cook for a further 20 minutes, remove makrut lime leaves and serve, garnished with coriander, spooned over cooked rice.
Chipotle Roasted Pork Belly (serves 6-8)
A superb Sunday roast enjoyed with crispy roast potatoes and vegetables, this also makes a great tortilla topping served with guacamole, coleslaw and braised onions.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg piece of pork belly, skin scored
- 2 tbs chipotle paste
- 2 tbs tomato purée
- 2 tbs brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 large red onions, thinly sliced
- sea salt and ground pepper
Method:
Preheat oven to 140°C. Cut the pork into three long pieces and season the meat side generously with salt and pepper. In a medium sized bowl, mix the chipotle paste, tomato purée, sugar, cumin and garlic then spread two tablespoons of the paste over the meat. Whisk the stock into the rest of the paste and pour into a shallow roasting dish. Add the onions and place the pork, skin-side up, on top. Rub the skin with a little oil then sprinkle generously with salt. Roast for 4–5 hours or until very tender when pierced with a skewer. Turn the oven to grill and preheat until hot. Remove the pork from the dish and place on a shallow baking tray. Place under the grill until the skin is crisp taking care that it doesn’t burn. Rest the meat for 10 minutes before slicing.
Chef’s tip: This is particularly good when served with a Mexican Green Sauce. To make this spicy accompaniment, place into a food processor: 1 cup coriander leaves, zest and juice of 1 large lime, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 4 tablespoons olive oil, habanero tabasco sauce to taste and a pinch of sea salt. Blend until smooth.
Lamb Ragu Pasta (serves 4)
Ingredients:
- 400 g pasta
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 100 g bacon, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tsp rosemary, finely chopped
- pinch chilli flakes
- ½ tsp ground fennel
- 400 g lamb mince
- ½ cup white or red wine
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 2 x 400 g tins crushed tomatoes
- Parmesan cheese, grated
- Handful parsley, finely chopped
- Sea salt and ground pepper
Method:
Cook the pasta as per instructions on the packet. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion until tender. Add the bacon, garlic, rosemary, chilli flakes and fennel and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the mince, breaking up with a wooden spoon so there are no large lumps. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine and let it bubble up until it has all been absorbed. Stir in the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce then add the tomatoes. Season well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook at a fast simmer for 20 minutes until reduced but not too thick. Stir in the parsley. Drain the cooked pasta, reserving about ½ cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the sauce and gently combine. Stir in the saved pasta water – this will help the sauce stick to the pasta. Tip into a large serving bowl and sprinkle with grated parmesan.
Rum Bundt Cake
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 3 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ cup gold rum (Bacardi Gold)
- ¾ cup double cream
For the rum syrup:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup gold rum
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 25 cm bundt pan and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl beat the butter, sugar and vanilla with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, then add the eggs, one at a time, and then the egg yolk, beating well after each addition. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in the rum. Add flour mixture to egg mixture in thirds, alternately with the cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating on low after each addition. Transfer batter to the prepared bundt pan and bake for 50–55 minutes or until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Remove from oven. During final 10 minutes of bake time, prepare the rum syrup by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and ¼ cup water and let the mixture come to a boil. Stir occasionally until syrupy (about 5 minutes) then add the rum and vanilla. Boil for a further minute, then remove from the heat. Using a wooden skewer, poke holes all over the warm cake while it is still in the bundt tin. Spoon ¾ cup of the rum syrup evenly over cake. Let stand 10 minutes. Invert onto a cake stand and pour over the remaining syrup evenly over top. Cool for 20–30 minutes before serving.
Chocolate Martini
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp melted chocolate
- 50 ml Irish cream liqueur
- 50 ml coffee liqueur
- 1 tbsp chocolate syrup
- 100 ml vodka
- handful of ice
Method:
Dip a pastry brush into the melted chocolate and brush up the side of two glasses. Chill until set. Pour the Irish cream liqueur, coffee liqueur, chocolate syrup and vodka into a shaker with a handful of ice and shake hard until the outside of the shaker feels very cold. Strain into the glasses.
The recipes are provided by Capsicum Culinary Studio, which is the largest culinary school in South Africa, with six campuses across the country – including Cape Town, Boksburg, Durban, Nelson Mandela Bay, Pretoria and Rosebank, and Johannesburg – offering a range of one-, two- and three-year Chef and Patisserie programmes. For more information, visit https://www.capsicumcooking.com/
