Potjie for Christmas

Grubscrew said:
I rarely would use wine in any cooking, not for me. Trust me on the salad dressing. One bottle for every 2kg of meat.
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Trust me on the late harvest crackling. That and the salad dressing as a cook in sauce for lamb shanks - Heaven.
 
2kg of oxtail,
2 tins of tomato and onion mix
Garlic
Chopped onions
Tomato paste
750ml of water
Beef stock
Carrots,
Green Beans
Potatoes.

Salt and peper to taste

Roll the oxtail pieces in flour, then brown them, add the onions, garlic. Cover with the tomato and onion mix, water add the beef stock cube. Add the carrots, and the beans later, then the potatoes, Slow heat should take minimum 4hours, to high of heat the oxtail will be rubbery and gelatinous.
 
I see potjie as more of an experiment than a recipe. The process will generally be the same but the end result is guided by feel.

My process would go as follows:

Brown meat in small batches, you want it browned not cooked, and set aside.
While browning your meat a nice trick is to have a side pot where you pour your wine in to and reduced it by half or 2/3's so as to intensify the flavor.
May as well also get your stock/packet soup ready in a jug.

Once meat is brown toss in some butter.
Sweat your onions.
Add garlic.
Add spices, I like:

Paprika
Tomato paste
Pickled onions
Rajah curry powder (you aren't making a curry! Just a taste)
Cheyenne pepper
Salt & pepper
Couple of bay leaves
Rosemary
Whatever else you feel like on the day

Now, once your spices are in, toss in some flour and give it a good stir.
Add back the meat and stir again.
This is to avoid the flour clumping when you add liquids.

Pour over your wine reduction.
Add stock/soup mix as required.
Remember, you are making a potjie, not a stew and definitely not some winter soup.

After that just give it time and a couple of drinks.
I like to let the meat simmer for a while and to taste before I start adding veg. Can still balance things if required at that stage.

Veg goes on top of the meat in layers, root vegetables first.

Don't stir. For the love of whatever avoid the urge to stir your potjie. I permanently had to remind old Fanie of this.

You are steaming the veg during the process and it gets stirred in right at the end.

Enjoy.
 
RedViking said:
Gooi some skakels van Suid Afrikaanse webtuiste for some lekker resepte. I don't want to make stew. I want to make potjie. Easily available ingredients. Something you have tried and makes the whole Voortrekker Monument bewe.
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Same thing.

And less is more...

Cabbage
Lamb shin (skenkels)
Butterbeans
Onions
Potatoes (peeled)
Mrs Balls and red wine mixes with lamb stock (NOMU) for the sauce.

Heaven...
 
Baffles me how much effort people put into potjies and the strange stuff they put into the potjie. Should be a mellow, relaxed affair.
Only thing I plan before a potjie, is to buy a huge fresh head of broccoli and a tub of crushed garlic and make sure I have enough ice for the dop. The rest is just adding basic spice, meat and whatever vegies you like, to taste.

EDIT: on a side note, I'll be doing a chicken pot on Sunday. Maybe I'll share some pics as it progress. If I don't forget.
 
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keep it simple .my last layer is allways spinach tucked in .6 hours usually and if you are not quick its all gone .lots of veggies .good supply of gas .a good potjie burner base.ive found the shielded cadac works best .low heat .no book can prepare you for the journey ahead .hold up with the spice let the ingredients do the work .my wife allways sneaks curry powder in when doing the meat .just a dash .
 
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KleinBoontjie said:
Baffles me how much effort people put into potjies and the strange stuff they put into the potjie. Should be a mellow, relaxed affair.
Only thing I plan before a potjie, is to buy a huge fresh head of broccoli and a tub of crushed garlic and make sure I have enough ice for the dop. The rest is just adding basic spice, meat and whatever vegies you like, to taste.
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I do my potjie on gas nowdays. Fck the little twicks and stompies and charcoal.
 
MightyQuin said:
Same thing.

And less is more...

Cabbage
Lamb shin (skenkels)
Butterbeans
Onions
Potatoes (peeled)
Mrs Balls and red wine mixes with lamb stock (NOMU) for the sauce.

Heaven...
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Why is some people using stock or soup powders in a pot? Strangest thing ever. Some even use maizena, if there is too much water, to thicken the water. Nope

EDIT: also, cabbage? strange one
 
RedViking said:
My mom can make a mean chicken cheese potjie.
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Made me think of the time me and a friend won a potjie competition, back in early 2000's, with a noodle and cheese pot. He got the recipe from his parets. I thought it taste great, but never thought we'd win.
 
KleinBoontjie said:
Why is some people using stock or soup powders in a pot? Strangest thing ever. Some even use maizena, if there is too much water, to thicken the water. Nope

EDIT: also, cabbage? strange one
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yes lots of people use soup powder .strange .i do too.
 
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KleinBoontjie said:
Why is some people using stock or soup powders in a pot? Strangest thing ever. Some even use maizena, if there is too much water, to thicken the water. Nope

EDIT: also, cabbage? strange one
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What's wrong with stock? It adds flavor and liquid at the same time. It has nothing to do with soup powders or Maizena and thickening the pot.

Cabbage...well, we all have different tastes. It's important to not knock something until you've tried it.
 
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