Bowl of Beef & Greens Soup
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Beef & Greens Stew / Soup


Africa - Hausa   -   Miya Yakwa
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 6 w/rice
***
3-1/4 hrs
Most		 This simple but excellent soup / stew is from the Hausa People of the Western Sudan (see Note-7). If doing ahead, stop just before adding the Greens and add them when it's reheated and just before serving.

1-1/2
1/2
10
1
8
3
4-1/2
2
1/2
2
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ar
#
c
oz
#
oz
T
c

T
T
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Beef (1)
Raw Peanuts
Greens (2)
Tomatoes
Onion
Oil
Broth / Water (3)  
Maggi Cubes (4)
Salt
Lime Juice (5)
-- Serve with
Steamed Rice
Prep   -   (35 min)
  1. Cut BEEF into about 3/4 inch cubes.
  2. Grind RAW PEANUTS (skinless) fine. A Mini-Prep food processor can get them fine enough.
  3. Cut stems from GREENS and cut the leaves into strips about 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long. Weight is for leaves only.
  4. Scald TOMATOES one minute in boiling water. Quench in cold water and peel. Cut into about 3/4 inch pieces.
  5. Chop ONIONS small.
Run   -   (2-1/2 hrs)
  1. Measure Broth / Water and add water if needed to bring it to 5 cups (a little less for stew). Place Beef Cubes into a 5 quart sauce pan, pour in the Broth and bring to a boil. Skim off any scum that rises to the top. Simmer covered until Beef is tender, about 50 minutes.
  2. In a sauté pan, heat oil and fry Onions, stirring until just translucent. Stir in Tomatoes, cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes. Stir into pan with the Beef.
  3. Combine Peanuts with a little water and stir into the pan along with Salt, and Maggi or other seasoning (if used). Bring back to a simmer.
  4. When almost ready to serve, stir in Greens. Bring to a boil and simmer just a few minutes until the greens are tender and have a cooked taste.
  5. Stir in Lime Juice and take off the heat.
  6. Serve hot with plenty of Steamed Rice (see Serving). Reheated, this dish tastes fine but the green color will be dull.
NOTES:

  1. Beef:

      Weight is with nearly all fat removed (see Note-5). I prefer chuck, but round can be used with a bit longer cooking.

  2. Greens:

      Weight is for Leaves with stems removed. The pattern recipe calls for Yakwa Leaves, confusingly translated as "Sorrel", but actually it means Roselle Leaves (our Sorrel is a cool climate plant). In North America Roselle greens are very seasonal and difficult to find. White stemmed Chard works very well with a little Lime Juice to match the sourness of Roselle. Spinach or Sorrel would turn to mush too quickly.

  3. Broth / Water:

      The pattern recipe calls for making the broth with just the Beef Cubes, but I make a stronger broth, which eliminates the need for things like Maggi Cubes. I buy my chunk of beef early in the day and cube the amount of clear meat needed for this recipe. All offcuts, including fat, go in a pot and are brought to a boil, skimmed, and then gently simmered. After 5 or more hours, I strain out and discard the solids. I Remove all fat using my gravy separator, and use the resulting clean broth to cook the Beef for this recipe.

  4. Maggi Cubes:

    These are practically universal in West Africa, displacing traditional fermented flavorings, but are not much available in North America. Following my Broth Method will eliminate the need for Maggi Cubes. If your broth is not strong, and you don't have Maggi Cubes, the easily available Maggi Seasoning Sauce can be used at about a Tablespoon per Cube. For details see our Maggi Cubes page.

  5. Lime Juice:

      This is added for greens that are not as sour as Roselle Leaves. Omit if your leaves are that sour.

  6. Serving:

      When serving soups with rice, rather than spooning soup over rice as Asians do, I prefer to provide a bowl of rice on the table from which it can be spooned into the soup bowls as desired. Others have agreed that this works well.

  7. Hausa People:

      Hausa is one of the largest black ethnic groups in Africa. They are concentrated in northeastern Nigeria and southwestern Niger, but smaller populations are found across the Western Sudan, as far west as Senegal and as far east as Sudan. They are predominantly pastoralists and agriculturists for whom cattle and horses are very important.
  8. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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