Beef and Okra
(Jamaican beef and okra stew)
Image by Jérôme Decq
This recipe makes a simple meat and vegetable stew with tons of flavor. It's a typically Caribbean concoction using that favorite vegetable import from Africa — okra. Try using goat instead of beef if you can find it.
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
- Oil -- 1/4 cup
- Beef shoulder or sirloin, sliced thinly across the grain -- 2 pounds
- Salt and pepper -- to season
- Onion, thinly sliced -- 1
- Garlic, minced -- 3-4 cloves
- Chopped tomatoes -- 1 cup
- Water or stock -- 1 cup
- Thyme -- 2 teaspoons
- Salt and pepper -- to taste
- Okra, stems removed and cut into rounds -- 1 pound
Method
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high flame. Add the beef and sauté until browned and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and remove to a plate.
- Add more oil to the skillet if needed and then add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes and simmer 2 or 3 minutes to cook them down a little. Then return the beef to the skillet and add the water or stock, thyme, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer another 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in the okra and simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the beef is tender. Adjust seasoning and serve over rice.
Beef and Okra Notes and Variations
- Add a minced jalapeño or Scotch bonnet pepper with the garlic for some fiery heat.
- Half-frozen beef will be easier to slice thinly. Slicing the beef across the grain makes it much more tender.
