South African Beef Fusion Bowl

I love fusion and variety. I came up with this idea several years ago when I made my own variation of South Africa Beef and threw it together with left over couscous, caramelized onions and jalapenos, simply as a small-light lunch. Here I am, years later, putting it together with a different intent. I wanted an array of different flavors and textures. Thats where the poblano, couscous and onions come in. Throw in fresh jalapenos and cilantro with coconut milk and tomato braised beef, you have a pretty awesome meal. Serve it with warm Naan and it’s even better.

The Beef:
1-8 oz can tomato sauce
2/3 c coconut milk
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2.5 lb beef roast trimmed
Kosher salt to taste
2 tbs tomato paste

The Cream Sauce:
3 lg Poblanos
1 tsp chicken bullion
2 c water
2/3 c heavy cream

The Potatoes:
3 med sweet potatoes
3 tbs oil kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

The Couscous:
2 c water
2 c plain couscous

The Onions:
1 lg yellow onion,  sliced thin
2 tbs oil

The Rest:
2 lg fresh jalapenos, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
Fresh cilantro

Get out the old slow cooker for this one. When you’ve got a busy day ahead of you, crackpots are ideal.

To prepare the beef, dice the meat into 2″ cubes. Transfer to the slow cooker along with the the first 9 ingredients. Mix well and set for 8 hours.2 hours before the beef is done, stir in the tomato paste.

To make the onions, heat oil over high heat in a medium sauté pan and add onions. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir often. Add water, 1 tbs at a time as needed, to prevent drying out. Cook until browned and tender. The onions will reduce significantly.

Set oven to 400 degrees and arrange poblanos on a sheet pan. Roast in oven, turning through the cooking process to char on all sides. Transfer to a plastic bag and squeeze all of the air out. Wrap in a towel and set aside for 1 hour. Peel and dice your sweet potatoes. Toss in oil and spread out on a sheet pan. Season with kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper and cayenne pepper. Slide into the oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until your potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and set aside.

While your potatoes are going, get the couscous ready by bringing the water to a boil over high heat. Quickly add the couscous, stir with a fork, remove from burner and cover. Allow to sit until ready to serve. During this time, you can get the poblano sauce put together. Remove peppers from the bag. Peel off the skins and remove the stems and seeds. Transfer peppers to the blender along with the remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth.

Get your bowls put together by adding about 1 c couscous to the bottom of each bowl. Top with 1/4 c meat, some caramelized onions, jalapenos, potatoes and cilantro. Sprinkle with green onions and poblano sauce and you’re ready to go. I honestly don’t cook with a lot of salt, I prefer natural flavors when it comes to stuff like this. If you like a lot of heat, salt, msg, or whatever your heart desires, by all means, add it and make it your own.