Shoko
Submitted by andylee
Shoko is a West African beef and spinach stew slow-simmered with tomatoes, onions, green pepper, ginger, and cayenne. Hearty, warming, and served over boiled rice after three hours of cooking.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
3 hrsREADY
3 hrsShoko is West African comfort in a pot. Stewing beef, tomatoes, onions, and green pepper get processed into a chunky base, then simmered low and slow for two hours until the meat is fall-apart tender and the sauce has thickened into something deeply savory.
Fresh spinach goes in for the final 30 minutes, wilting into the stew and adding color and earthy greens to every bite. Cayenne and ginger provide a warm, steady heat that builds with each spoonful.
Ladled over boiled rice, it’s the kind of dish that feeds the whole family and fills the house with the most inviting aroma for hours.
Kitchen Tips
- Process the vegetables until minced but not pureed; you want texture, not a smooth sauce
- Sear the vegetables and beef together over high heat first for deeper flavor
- Stir occasionally during the long simmer to prevent sticking and burning on the bottom
- Rinse fresh spinach at least twice to remove all the grit before adding to the stew
Ingredients
Directions
Reserve ½ cup of juice from the canned tomatoes.
Combine the chile, tomatoes, onions, and green bell pepper in a food processor, and process until the vegetables are minced but not pureed.
Heat the oil in a large, cast-iron pot, and sauté the vegetables and beef for 5 minutes over high Add the reserved tomato juice, water sugar, salt, cayenne, and ginger. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally to keep from burning. Meanwhile, soak the spinach in warm water for 15 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly, separate, rinse again (and even a third time if you want to be extra careful), shred coarsely, and set aside. After 2 hours, add the spinach to the pot and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, until the water is About half an hour before serving, prepare boiled rice.
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