Slow cooked over the fire, potjiekos is delicious and versatile. Learn how to make your own Divundu-style potjie from two overlanders who are cooking potjiekos wherever they go.

Potjiekos – a stew cooked in a cast iron pot – is the definitive overlanding food. You can adapt it to whatever is at hand and the robust potjie can handle tough travel conditions. And while you wait for your potjie to cook, there’s plenty of time for fireside chats.

Just ask Potjie2Pint, two women overlanding from South Africa to Belgium (hence the name). Along the way, they are “cooking outdoors and connecting cultures”. Wherever they go, they find an opportunity to make a potjie and learn what’s lekker from the locals. But most importantly, they are making friendships along with the potjie of the day.

In Divundu, while staying at Emms Cubango Eco Camp, the Potjie2Pint duo made a potjie in the local style, with goat meat. But being Belgian, they had to add their own touch with some beer. They shared the recipe with Tracks4Africa.

Divundu goat potjie

Serves 6

Ingredients

Sunflower oil
1 kg goat meat
3 onions, chopped
2 pinches of chopped garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cubes beef stock
1 sachet tomato paste
2 mielies (corn on the cob), sliced into chunks
3 carrots, sliced into chunks
1 green pepper, cubed
1 yellow pepper, cubed
4 medium potatoes, sliced into chunks
1 bottle of dark Belgian beer (or any other dark ale or stout available)

Method

Warm up your potjie on the open fire – once hot, add sunflower oil and brown the goat meat.
Once meat is browned on all sides, take it out and set aside.
Add a bit of oil again and add the chopped onions. Sauté until soft and starting to brown (even a bit caramelised).
Add garlic, beef stock cubes and tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper, then stir well.
Add the goat meat to the onions and spices, then add all the chopped vegetables on top.
Pour the beer over and add water until everything is covered.
Let simmer on medium coals for 1.5 hours until the meat is tender.

Also read: Traditional tomato bredie

You can follow @potjie2pint on Instagram or check out their videos on YouTube.