Lamb Stew

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 kg boned lamb, cut in 3 cm (1 1/4 inch) cubes
1 medium onion and one large carrot, each cut in 1 cm cubes
2 teaspoons brown sugar
340 ml chicken stock
150 ml medium-dry white wine
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 fat clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried, mixed herbs
1 ml ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 cup button mushrooms, stalks removed

Heat the oil in a casserole dish. Add half the meat and cook briskly until it is brown on all sides, then remove to a plate and fry the second portion in the same way. Cook the onions and carrot in the same fat until they are softened and golden, sprinkling with the sugar to hasten the process.
Put the meat back on top of the vegetables and add the chicken stock, wine, tomato puree and seasonings. Bring to the boil then cover and simmer gently for 90 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the mushrooms during the last half hour. When the meat tests tender, uncover the dish and simmer for 5 minutes more until the sauce is reduced to a coating consistency.
Serve with potatoes.

Stuffed Cabbage

Two of my favorite ingredients go into this recipe, minced meat and cabbage. Cabbage has become one of the staple foods to our ethnic population, being wholesome and comparatively cheap.

1 large head cabbage
1 kg minced meat
1/2 cup raw rice
1/2 cup raisins
salt and pepper to taste

Sauce
1 cup sugar
2 large onions
1 large tin tomato puree
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 ginger snaps

Cut approximately 5 cm (2 inches) around the core of the cabbage and steam in a little boiled water to soften leaves enough to shape them into rolls. Drain and set aside to cool. Reserve water from steamed cabbage. Mix the meat with raw rice, raisins, salt and pepper to taste.
Place approximately 1/4 to 1/3 of the filing in a whole cabbage leaf, folding the edges as you loosely roll them. Place the rolls on a bed of sliced onion in a large casserole pot. Layer the rolls on the pot till all the filling is used up.

For the sauce, brown the sugar in a heavy pan over low heat. Add the balance of the onion, tomato puree, lemon juice, a little of the reserved water from the steamed cabbage and the crumbled ginger snaps.. Stir together and heat. Pour sauce mixture over all. To ensure more juice, add enough water from the steamed cabbage to cover the entire contents.
Bake for 90 minutes in a 180ºC oven.  

Tripe and Trotters
Could this be where "Pens en Pootjies" originated from?

4 sheep's trotters, cleaned and chopped
1 sheep's tripe, cleaned
salted water
25 ml brown sugar
5 ml white sugar
2 whole cloves
10 ml peppercorns
5 ml coriander seeds
5 ml allspice berries
1 bay leaf
10 ml salt
2 ml milled pepper
1 large onion, sliced
15 ml curry powder
10 ml turmeric
500 g small potatoes

Soak the trotters and tripe in enough salted water to cover for 1 hour. Drain. Boil each separately in enough fresh cold water to cover for about 1 hour, or until soft. Drain, reserving the liquid from the trotters. Dice the meat, add the reserved liquid and all the other ingredients and simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes. Serve with rice.

Mutton Breyani

1 kg mutton or lamb, cubed
15 ml grated fresh root ginger
10 ml crushed garlic
5 ml salt
250 ml brown lentils
625 ml basmati rice
250 ml cooking oil
300 ml hot water
6 potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 large onions, thinly sliced
6 hard boiled eggs, halved, for garnishing

Marinade
3 sticks cinnamon
5 cardamom pods
2 green chillies
2.5 ml turmeric
5 ml roasted masala
30 ml garam masala
5 whole cloves
5 whole allspice
a few strands saffron
1 large tomato, skinned and grated
250 ml buttermilk

Wash and drain the meat in a colander. Rub ginger, garlic and salt into meat. Combine marinade ingredients and marinate meat for about 3 hours. Boil lentils until tender, about 20 minutes. Rinse and drain. Wash rice until water runs clear and drain. Heat 50 ml oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Toss to coat well. Add 100 ml hot water and cook, covered for 5 minutes on medium.. Remove from the stove. Heat remaining oil in a large saucepan and fry potatoes on all sides until browned, about 4 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add onions and braise until brown and crisp for 7-8 minutes. 
Remove about a quarter of the onions from the pan and reserve. Add meat and spices to remaining onions and cook, covered for 30 minutes. Remove meat from saucepan and keep warm. Layer potatoes in same saucepan then layer other ingredients as follows: Sprinkle half the rice over potatoes, arrange meat mixture over rice, sprinkle lentils over, then remaining rice, top with reserved onions, dot with butter and sprinkle with remaining hot water. Close saucepan, sealing lid tightly. Cook on high for 5 minutes then simmer for 1 hour on low heat, not opening saucepan. Top with halved hard boiled eggs and serve with atchars.

Mango Pork
2 medium ripe mangoes
1 Pork fillet, about 500g
cooking spray or olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
hot pepper sauce

1. Put pulp of 1 mango in food processor or blender.
2. Cut the other mango into small cubes.
3. Trim pork fillet and slice into 2.5cm thick medallions.
4. Flatten slices lightly with hand.
5. Spray a skillet or medium saucepan with cooking spray or add a small amount of olive oil and heat on medium-high.
6. Brown pork for 1 minute on each side.
7. Season each side with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Reduce heat and cook pork another 5 minutes to cook through.
9. Remove to a plate and add mango puree to the skillet or saucepan.
10. Cook puree about, scraping up brown bits of pork, for about 30 seconds.
11. Add several drops of hot sauce and the mango cubes.
12. Toss cubes in puree while heating through.
13. Spoon sauce over pork and serve with pasta or hot cooked rice.
Serves 2.