Mafe (Senegalese Beef Stew)

Chef Kate's Note:

This traditional stew, with peanuts (groundnuts) can also be made with lamb, chicken or just vegetables. The amount and heat of the peppers you use can be varied to suit your palate.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 25 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• ½ cup peanut butter
• 2 cups stock (your choice, preferably unsalted)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 cup green bell pepper , peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 cayenne pepper , seeded and chopped (or other or more)
• 1 cup carrot , peeled and chopped
• 2 lbs beef stew meat , trimmed and cut into 1 and 1/2-inch cubes
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups tomatoes , peeled and diced (or one 14 and 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid)
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Whisk together peanut butter and stock and reserve.
2. Season the meat with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
4. Brown the meat well on all sides; do not crowd the meat; saute in batches if necessary.
5. Remove meat and keep warm.
6. Add the onion, garlic, peppers, and carrots to the pan and saute until the onions are translucent.
7. Add the peanut butter and broth mixture, scraping all the brown bits up from the bottom and sides of the pan.
8. Return the reserved meat (and any juices) to the pan with the tomatoes and their liquid, the thyme and bay leaf.
9. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, for about 1 hour or until the meat is tender.
10. Taste for seasoning.
11. Remove the thyme sprig and the bay leaf and discard.
12. Serve hot over rice.

Reviews

[L'ecole]

For many years I have been making a groundnut chicken stew that a friend brought back from Niger, where he served in the Peace Corps (http://www.food.com/recipe/peanut-chicken-from-niger-390062). I thought it might be fun to try another groundnut stew, this time with beef, and from Senegal rather than Niger. I used only 1-1/2 pounds of beef, and substituted two serrano peppers -- with seeds/ribs -- to get the right amount of heat for us (quite spicy but not "blow the top of your head off hot"). This version was delicious: not as tomato-y as the one I'd been making, but with more veggies, which was a nice variation on the theme. I served it over brown rice with a spinach salad on the side. Will certainly make it again!

[cam12]

This recipe is exactly what I have been looking for. A teacher's aide at my daughter's school was from Senegal and made this when they were studing African culture. I always use chicken and it is delicious!

[awalde]

I was looking for something that I would prepare on the fire... this was wanderful.
I doubled the quantities of carrots and I renounced to the canola oil because I didn't have.
After 3 hours cooking (coverd) we had the plasure to try it. Fantastic in the taste and for this autumn days.
Thanks