There are two kinds of “potjie” (cast iron pots) known to South African: The flat pot and the three-legged pot. The three-legged pot has a round bottom and is used to cook stews over the fire at a low heat (stirring and adding water is prohibited if you ask the traditionalists), which then means that the heat of the coals has to be low.
Game Potjie
I would cook anything from the notoriously tough Batswana beef, warthog, zebra, kudu, and, springbok over the fire. While some safari cooks were happy to braai (barbecue) these game meats I found them to be tough. So after some reflection, my method for making these game meats concede, was by cooking them for hours as a potjie stew. This was my method:
Ingredients
- Game meat of your choice
- Braai spice
- Onions
- Potjiekos/soup medley of veggies (sold peeled and cut in packs, and normally consists of pumpkin, baby marrow, onions, leeks, celery etc.).
- Dry mixed herbs
- Fresh Cilantro
- Cooking Oil
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Veg spice
- Brown onion soup powder (premade or home made will do too)
- Mild mix masala
- Bovril and water mix (three table spoons of Bovril to 150ml hot water)
Method
- Let the fire burn down to coals.
- Heat the three-legged cast iron pot.
- Add oil and then meat and allow to singe till edges start browning.
- Drop in three segments of garlic and a piece of ginger with some dried mixed herbs (dry or fresh).
- Add beer until meat is immersed, lower the heat (by removing coals), cover the pot with tin foil, and then the lid.
- Cook slowly until meat is tender (2 to 3 hours), and add beer as the liquid evaporates, which should be minimal with the foil trapping the steam and heat in the pot.
- If when meat is soft, there is an excess of liquid, scoop out the liquid and keep it aside. Return to the pot later as a liquid stock.
- The meat will start sizzling at this point. Remove whole pieces of garlic and ginger.
- Add diced onions, coriander, and celery (stir into meat.
- Once onions start browning, add the equivalent of three new segments of garlic and the same weight of new ginger (mash it or grind it first)
- Add more mixed herbs and chopped coriander.
- Add a tablespoon of masala.
- Lower heat and make sure the meat doesn’t stick.
- Once a lower heat is achieved, add 100 ml dry red wine and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add veggie pack
- Cover the pot with tin foil before closing with the lid.
- Mix brown onion soup powder with 250mls of cold water.
- And a tablespoon of Bovril with the poured-off stock water/100 ml hot water.
- Once veggies are al dente, add the Bovril mixture.
- Once veggies are soft, sprinkle Cajun spice, veggie spice, braai (barbecue) spice, and more diced coriander.
- Close pot for 10 minutes, then add soup mix. Leave for ten minutes.
- Take off the heat, let it rest, stir, then dish.
The Dessert Potjie
The other potjie, AKA the flat pot, can be used for everything but favored for baking bread. As it’s name dictates, it is flat and has no legs, and like its cousin is available in different sizes (size 16 is needed for this particular recipe). The secret to success of cooking with this pot, irrespective of what is being cooked in it, is low heat. It is this pot that is used for the super sweet baked apple dessert. You will need:
- Three packs of ginger biscuits
- 1 small can of condensed milk
- 2 cans of apple slices
- Cinnamon powder
- Margarine or butter
Method
- Grease flat pot with Margarine or butter.
- Crush cookies and layer bottom of pot with half.
- Layer pot with biscuit evenly with apple slices (drain off water first).
- Layer again with balance of biscuits
- Then cover with condensed milk
- Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon powder.
- Cover pot with foil before closing with lid
- Apply low heat from bottom and top for two hours with the help of a few coals (three should be enough)
The end result will be a delicious sweet and cinnamon taste – one that will be remembered.
awesome stuff man