#ugali

Tools & Ingredients

Ingredients

500g (Around 1 pound) of beef preferably sirloin -> Rump can also work but sirloin will be more tender and have a better flavour.

You can use flank and skirt steak as well, but only if you like your beef medium rare. Anything more will make your beef tough

1 large or 2 medium red onions

1/2 - 1 teaspoon of salt or to taste -> Use a little more if using coarse salt

1/4 - 1/2 a teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper or to taste -> A few twists of the pepper mill

Although I love convenient pre-packaged products, ground black pepper does not bring to the table even half of what cracked black pepper does.  So, try to use freshly coarsely ground or cracked black pepper, you will taste the difference.  

 2 - 3 tablespoons of oil for the pan -> Use your favourite high heat cooking oil

Tools

Wooden Spoon

Heavy bottomed pan -> A pan without non-stick coating is preferred. Stainless steel, cast iron even aluminium will work.

Procedure

If your meat is not pre-cut, cut it into thin long slices or around 1 inch (2.5cm) cubes - you can go as big or as small as you like, bigger if you like the rarer side of beef. Pat your meat dry for better sear; drier surfaces brown faster and better. Optionally, you can also dust some flour on the cut beef slices or cubes, this will help with browning. Ps: If cutting the beef proves to be a challenge, put it in the freezer for 10 - 15 minutes prior to cutting it. This will make the meat studier and help to get even slices/cubes.

Salt and pepper your beef. Briefly massage the salt and pepper into the beef so every piece gets properly seasoned. 

Peel and slice your onions into half moons; cut the onion into half, then with the cut side down, slice thinly across the onion, working from the tip to the root. Discard the root.

Place your pan on medium-high heat. The pan should get really hot, a drop of water shop bead and dance around the pan.

Once the pan is hot, add in the oil, and wait for it to start to shimmer, which should take seconds, if the pan was hot enough.

When the oil starts shimmering add in your beef taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Cook the beef in batches if the slices or cubes cannot all seat on the pan in one layer with some space between them.

Here comes the hard part, let the meat be, no tossing, stirring or moving. Let the searing and browning happen undisturbed for a few minutes (around 3 minutes). You will know they are ready to be flipped when you can see the meat has turned from red to brown at least halfway and it smells like barbeque or nyamchom.

If you are particular, flip the meat pieces so each side can get browned. However, if you are impatient, you can stir until the meat is browned and done to your liking. 

A few minutes before the beef is done. Add your onions and stir until the onions have softened but still have a little bite to them (that is how I like it). If you like your onions completely softened, take out the meat a minute or two before it’s done, sweat the onions until they turn translucent then add back your meat until it's done. It would take a few tries to tell the timing, however, if you use a good cut of beef like sirloin, overcooking it by a minute or two won’t destroy your dish.

Once done, take out the meat and let it rest for a few minutes before serving alongside ugali, kachumbari (salsa) and some greens like sukuma wiki (collard greens/flat leaf kale) or traditional greens like mchicha and managu if you like.

Notes

-The cut of beef is important here, I love sirloin, found around the back of the cow. It is a flavourful beefy cut that is quite forgiving even when you overcook it. Rump, from the hind legs of the cow is tougher but still OK. Skirt and flank, from around the belly are good only if you do not overcook them, am talking no more than medium rare. 

-Let your pan get HOT. Open the windows and if you have one, turn on the chimney hood in your kitchen. It takes a very hot pan to sear and brown the beef well. Things will get smokey so don't panic, it will pay off. 

-Do not overcrowd the pan, work in batches if you have to. Overcrowding will make the meet steam rather than sear. Searing locks in the juices in the beef, so your dry fry will be juicy and flavourful. 

-Do not overcook the meat, I know as Kenyans meat has to cook and cook and cook because we fear that undercooked meat will give us bacteria and worms. However, 5 - 10 minutes is enough depending on how well done you like your beef and how thin or small your pieces are.