Foodie Fridays: Pineapple and beef stew

   It’s been a while. Months actually since I last wrote anything. School got so crazy that I could barely muster the strength to write anything worth-while. And I don’t do things half-way. Go big or go home right? But I have a bit of a reprieve at the moment and this is me trying to get back on the writing saddle. What better way to do it than with a recipe that will absolutely blow your taste-buds!

  

   I mentioned a while back how much I love fruit-juice marinades. They have this unique flavor and have a way of making food sweet without being as overwhelming as sugar can be at times. Plus, they are healthy!

   Short biology lesson: Pineapple juice contains an enzyme called bromelain which actually breaks down tough proteins, such as the ones found in the harder cuts of meat therefore softening the meat. It’s a natural meat tenderizer! No more boiling for hours on end or using a pressure cooker to make meat chewable. Just marinate it in pineapple juice for 2-3 hours and your good to go! Don’t leave it in for too long though or you might end-up with meat that’s mushy. And you could use the same concept to cook other kinds of meat.

So here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

½ kg beef cubed

1 cup cubed pineapple chunks from a ripe pineapple

½ cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon red chili powder

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

4 cloves of garlic finely chopped

2 large onions chopped

3 large tomatoes chopped

Instructions

1.       Mix the pineapple, soy sauce, chili, cooking oil and garlic to make your marinade. Do not add any salt because the soy sauce has more than enough and you might end up with a salty mess!

2.       In a large bowl, mix the beef with the marinade thoroughly. Cover and leave in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

Mix it like this and then wait

3.       Pour the beef and pineapple mixture into a large pan and fry over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until cooked (slightly brown). Stir frequently to make sure all sides cook well.

4.       Add the onions and cook until soft.

5.       Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. If the stew gets too dry add a little water at this point.

And voila!

All done

I had mine with brown rice and steamed kale.

Bon appétit!