Seswaa

Seswaa (Botswana)

The national dish of Botswana: beef (or goat) slow-simmered with salt and onion, then pounded into fine, soft shreds. Traditionally prepared by men for weddings, funerals, and other celebrations.

Prep

15 min

Cook

240 min

Total

255 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •1500 g (3¼ lb) besteeel stew meat, boneless chuck or shoulder; bone-in shank is traditional for richer flavor
• •1 whole (1 medium) onion, peeled and quartered
• •15 g (1 tbsp) fine salt, add gradually; Batswana traditionally season to taste
• •1500 ml (6 cups) water, cold, just enough to cover the meat

Steps

1. 1 Place the beef and quartered onion in a heavy pot. Add the cold water — it should just cover the meat (about 6 cups / 1500 ml).
2. 2 Bring slowly to a boil over medium heat, skimming any foam that rises. Once boiling, reduce the heat to the lowest setting so the liquid barely trembles.
3. 3 Cover and simmer gently for 3½–4 hours, until the beef is completely tender and the bones (if using) release cleanly. Do not add more water unless the pot threatens to go dry; seswaa is meant to cook in its own juices.
4. 4 Test for doneness: the meat should fall apart with no resistance when pressed with a fork. Internal temperature on the thickest piece should read at least 95°C / 205°F, and any connective tissue should be soft and gelatinous.
5. 5 Remove the meat from the pot and reserve the cooking liquid. Pick out and discard the onion and any bones. Pull the meat into rough pieces.
6. 6 Return the meat to the pot (or transfer to a wide wooden mortar, the traditional tool) with a small ladle of the cooking liquid. Pound with a heavy pestle or the bottom of a sturdy jar for several minutes until the fibers separate into fine, fluffy shreds with no lumps.
7. 7 Taste and stir in more salt as needed. Add a little more reserved broth if the seswaa looks dry — the finished texture should be moist but not soupy, with the shreds soft enough to melt on the tongue.
8. 8 Serve hot, traditionally piled on a mound of bogobe (thick sorghum or maize porridge) or with plain white rice, and ladle a little of the rich broth alongside.