Pro Bono Street Recipes - TRINCHADO

I used to eat this at the Dias Tavern in Cape Town as often as I could. Each time I'd go there I'd alternate between this and the Espedata (a serious Kebab) and I'd always be dragging my copywriter or whoever there for a quick lunch (2 hours that would then turn into a serious Jol).  Last time I was in Berlin I bought this dish from a crazy food stall (actually an old caravan) on a visit to a street festival held in June around the Kunstraum museum and park. It’s from Portugal originally but the recipe has mutated into something very Eurocentric. Bring it on!


Feeds 2

15g/1/2oz unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
675g/1 1/2lb rump steak, cut into small cubes
1 large onion, chopped
3 or 4 small hot red chilli peppers, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
725ml/scant 1 1/4 pints/3 cups beef stock
1/2 bottle red wine
1 bay leaf
1 tin black olives, or a couple of good handfuls
salt and black pepper

Heat a large pan over a medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the butter and oil.  Once the butter is melted, add the beef cubes a few at a time and brown well on all sides. Don’t cook too many cubes at once, crowd the pan or rush this step: this is what gives the dish its flavour. Remove the cooked cubes and leave to one side on a plate.

Lower the heat to medium, add the onion and chilli and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Pour in the stock and red wine. Stir until the sauce thickens a bit, about 3 minutes. Then add the bay leaf, olives, browned beef cubes and any juices that may have accumulated on the plate.  Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Serve with lots of crusty French bread for dunking.