Beef Trinchado - Portuguese inspired South African stew
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
20 mins
-
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
-
Total Time
1 hr 50 mins
-
Servings
4 servings (circa 250g per person)
-
Calories
738 kcal
-
Course
Main Course, Appetizer
-
Cuisine
Portuguese, South African
Beef Trinchado - Portuguese inspired South African stew
Description
The stew begins by cutting steak into large chunks and marinating them to infuse flavor. The meat is browned in butter and oil to develop color and taste before being set aside. Caramelized onions, chopped chilies, and garlic are sautéed in the same pan to build the aromatic base of the sauce.
The marinade liquids, including red wine, beef stock, tomato paste, and a touch of sugar, combine to form a rich sauce. The stew cooks gently on low heat with bay leaves, salt, pepper, and flour to thicken. Cream is added near the end to soften the flavors and enrich the sauce. The result is tender beef in a smooth, flavorful gravy.
Beef Trinchado is served warm, often accompanied by starches like rice or potatoes. The balance of spicy chilies and creamy sauce makes it comforting yet lively, reflecting its Portuguese-South African culinary heritage.
Cooking the stew slowly with moderate liquid evaporation keeps the meat tender and sauce rich. Monitoring liquid levels and adjusting heat prevents drying or burning. Adding small amounts of wine or water if needed preserves moisture. Matching pot and burner size helps control evaporation, and stirring helps avoid sticking.
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram rump steak Sliced into large cubes. You can also use Porterhouse, rib-eye, sirloin or fillet steak.
- 4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 300 millilitre beef stock We use 2 x Oxo beef cubes in 300ml water and then don't add extra salt, prepared
- 300 millilitre red wine
- 1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 30 grams butter
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 150 grams onion Red, white or brown onions. Finely chopped.
- 2 red chilies Finely chopped. Adjust the amount of chilli according to taste and the type of chilli you are using.
- 4 teaspoons garlic or 5-6 fresh, minced cloves, paste
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 3 bay leaf
- salt to taste
- black pepper few good grinds
- 150 millilitre cream
Instructions
Prep the meat
- Use a sharp knife to cut the steak into large, bite-sized chunks.
- In a large bowl, combine the cubed meat with the Worcestershire sauce. Ensure every cube is coated by stirring the sauce through the meat.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to marinate.
Prep the liquid
- Make the sauce by adding the beef stock, red wine, tomato paste and sugar to a jug or mixing bowl.
To make the Trinchado
- In a medium-large, heavy-based pan, heat half the butter (15g) and half the oil (1 tbsp) over medium-high heat.Once the oil and butter are sizzling, batch-fry the cubed steak until browned on all sides. This is an important step as it adds flavour to the dish.
- Set the beef aside in the same bowl it was marinated in.
- Turn the heat down to medium. Add the remaining butter (15g) and oil (1 tbsp).Once the butter and oil are hot, add the chopped onions and chillies. Fry until the onions are soft and translucent. This will take about 5 minutes. Stir every once in a while to ensure it's not sticking to the pan.
- Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the flour and stir it through the onions. Cook for 1 minute. Keep scraping the bottom of the pan during this step to avoid the flour from sticking too much.(The flour will stick a little bit and it's unavoidable, but don't worry, we're going to deglaze the pan in a minute.)
- Add the sauce you combined earlier. Deglaze the pan by stirring and scraping the sticky bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. This 'residue' will melt into the sauce and add flavour.Turn the heat down to low and simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes until it starts to thicken slightly.
- Add the bay leaves.
- Tip the meat into the pan along with any remaining liquid in the bowl.Stir the meat through the sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover the pan tightly with a lid. With the heat still on low, simmer for 1.5 hours.Check the liquid level every 10-15 minutes or so and give it a quick stir. If it seems like the Trinchado may need more liquid, add another splash of red wine or water.
- Taste for salt and add more if needed. The beef stock is already salty so you may not need more than ½ teaspoon salt.
- Add the black pepper.
- Add the cream. Stir and heat through for 1-2 minutes.If you feel you need more sauce at this point, you can add a touch more cream. If it's already looking saucy enough, add less cream than the recipe states.
- Allow the Trinchado to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with chunky chips or fresh white bread rolls to mop up the delicious sauce.
Notes
- Choose a pot size that matches your stove's burner to prevent the stew from drying out or burning during cooking.
- Maintain low heat after starting the simmer to allow even cooking and avoid rapid evaporation.
- Watch the stew closely and add a little water or wine if it appears too dry before the finishing cream is added.
- Adding cream at the end softens flavors and enriches the sauce without reducing liquid too much.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings (circa 250g per person)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 738 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 738kcal | 37% |
| Carbohydrates | 20g | 7% |
| Protein | 60g | 120% |
| Fat | 39g | 60% |
| Saturated Fat | 18g | 90% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 5g | 29% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Trans Fat | 0.3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 214mg | 71% |
| Sodium | 613mg | 26% |
| Potassium | 1459mg | 31% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 9g | 18% |
| Vitamin A | 1039IU | 21% |
| Vitamin C | 40mg | 44% |
| Calcium | 128mg | 13% |
| Iron | 7mg | 39% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
