Seychellois stewing beef with peppers

As winter nights are here, there is nothing more comforting than a bowl of steaming rice and beef slow cooked.Using stewing steak makes a beautiful thick sauce. The fat through the steak is very important in the sauce.

I find that stewing steak is not really used which accounts for the very economical aspect of this dish. My butcher has said more customers prefer roasting joints and steak rather than stewing or braising meat. I suppose its a sign of the times. We live in a fast moving world, where we don't have the time to cook these dishes. My argument is that this dish can quite happily sit on the stove or sit in the oven for 40-50 mins whilst you have a bath, or do something else.

I often vary this dish by adding carrots instead of the peppers, is also tastes good with baby potatoes fried and added at the end .Despite the list of ingredients this is a simple easy leave it alone dish.
The ingredients can be doubled or trebled and can be frozen for an even easier supper dish
Ingredients
500g stewing steak,
1 onion sliced in half moons,
1 tomato chopped,
1tsp thyme,
2 cloves garlic chopped,
thumb sized piece of ginger,
1 tbsp non flavoured oil,
2tsp dark soy sauce,
1tsp cumin seeds,
salt,
pepper.
2 red chilli's. finely chopped.
1tbsp flat leaved parsley
Method;
1) Add the oil to a pan heat up , when its hot add the cumin seeds, it should pop. Seal the meat and then set aside when crusty and brown. Fry together onions, garlic, ginger,chilli,

2) Add the meat to the veg and add the tomatoes, add the soy sauce. Stir fry and then lower the heat and place the lid on and cook slowly, until meat is soft. You don't need any water the meat cooks quite happily without it.

3)Add the peppers when the meat is tender and cook to your preference. I love them with a crunch. Add the parsley, cracked black pepper. Serve with plain steamed rice. In Seychelles we don't have brussel sprouts but at this time of year these are perfect.The resulting sauce is thick gelatinous and very tasty.