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Haitian lalo with beef
Lalo: Artibonite jute-leaf stew with beef
In the rice-growing Artibonite valley, lalo means jute leaves, and the stew made from them is the region's pride: chopped leaves cooked down with beef (and often crab) until they turn dark, silky and slightly slippery, like a richer spinach stew, served over white rice. Fresh jute is hard to find abroad, but frozen chopped jute leaves (sold as molokhia in Middle Eastern shops) work very well. The common mistake is adding the leaves too early; they turn bitter and grey if they boil for an hour, so the beef is cooked first. Marinate the beef in the fridge. Chef's tip: a squeeze of sour orange at the table cuts the richness beautifully.
- Total time
- 130 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb stewing beefcut into 3 cm cubes
- 1 limejuiced
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 scotch bonnet pepperwhole
- 3 ¾ cups water
- 1 ¾ lb frozen chopped jute leavesthawed (molokhia)
- 7 oz spinachchopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rub 1 ¾ lb stewing beef with 1 lime, 2 tbsp Haitian epis (green seasoning) and ¾ tsp salt and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
60 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pot over a medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches, 6–8 minutes, until well coloured on all sides.
8 minStep 3: Return all the beef, add 1 onion and 3 cloves garlic and cook for 4 minutes, then stir in 2 tbsp tomato purée and the rest of 2 tbsp Haitian epis (green seasoning) for 1 minute.
5 minStep 4: Add 3 sprigs thyme, 3 whole cloves, 1 scotch bonnet pepper and 3 ¾ cups water. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the beef is tender when pierced with a fork.
75 minStep 5: Stir in 1 ¾ lb frozen chopped jute leaves and 7 oz spinach and simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until the leaves are dark, soft and the sauce is thick and glossy. Season with the rest of ¾ tsp salt, remove the pepper and serve over white rice.
18 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does haitian lalo with beef take?
- About 130 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 105 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lime?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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