Braised Beef Kovu with Cooking Bananas

Ingredients

• 800 g boneless beef shoulder
• 2 onions
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 1 Green Chili Pepper
• 3 tbsp Rapeseed oil
• 1 tsp whole wheat flour
• 600 ml Meat broth
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 star anise
• Salt
• Pepper
• 3 tomatoes
• 500 g cooking bananas (Asian variety)
• 150 ml coconut milk
• 4 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp chives (5 g each)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Rinse the beef, pat dry and cut into 2–3 cm cubes. Peel and finely dice the onions and garlic. Trim, wash and finely chop the lemongrass. Halve the green chili lengthwise, deseed, wash and finely chop.

2. 2.

   Heat oil in a roasting pan or large pot. Brown the beef on all sides over high heat for 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook together for 2–3 minutes. Dust with flour, sauté for 1 minute, then pour in the meat broth.

3. 3.

   Add lemongrass, chili, bay leaves and star anise to the beef, season with salt and pepper, cover and braise in a preheated oven at 200 °C (180 °C fan) for about 1 hour, adding more broth if needed.

4. 4.

   Meanwhile wash the tomatoes, score them crosswise with a knife, blanch in boiling water for a few seconds, shock in cold water and peel. Dice the tomatoes, removing seeds and stems. Peel the cooking bananas and slice into 1–2 cm thick rounds.

5. 5.

   Add the banana slices and diced tomatoes to the beef. Pour in coconut milk and bake uncovered for another 45–60 minutes.

6. 6.

   Remove bay leaves and star anise. Season the braised Beef Kovu with salt, pepper, lime juice and brown sugar, then sprinkle with chives before serving.