Matoke and Beef Stew
A crowd-pleasing beef built around green plantains, stewing beef, cut into chunks and ripe tomatoes, chopped β roughly 70 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for large pot and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (3)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Place the beef chunks in a pot, cover with water, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for about 40 minutes until the meat begins to soften, then drain and reserve the broth.
- Cut the ends off each plantain, score the skins lengthwise, and peel them, then rub the peeled flesh with the cut lemon and a little water to keep them from discoloring and from staining your hands.
- Slice or chunk the plantains into thick pieces and set aside while you build the sauce.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the onion, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic, green bell pepper, and chile and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until they collapse into a thick sauce, then return the parboiled beef to the pot along with the reserved broth and the stock.
- Nestle the plantain pieces into the sauce, making sure they are mostly submerged, cover, and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes until the matoke is tender and the beef is fork-tender, ensuring the meat is fully cooked through.
- Taste and adjust the salt, then lightly mash some of the plantains against the side of the pot to thicken the stew before serving hot.
You'll use: Large pot Β· Saucepan
Ingredient substitutions
- Lemon
- lime Β· 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
Tips & common questions
How long does Matoke and Beef Stew take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 7 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of lemon?
Try lime. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Matoke and Beef Stew is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Matoke and Chicken.jpg by Krugen, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top β how we source recipes.