Name: Seswaa
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 195 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Botswana, Southern Africa
Ingredients: 1Â½ kg beef shin or chuck, bone-in, cut into large pieces; 1 whole onion, quartered; 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper, ground; 2 litres water

Seswaa

Botswana's national dish â€” beef slow-boiled until falling apart, then shredded and pounded to a tender, savory pulled-meat texture, seasoned simply with salt.

Country

Botswana

Region

Southern Africa

Time

195 min

Serves

Level

easy

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Seswaa is the pride of Botswana, served at weddings, funerals, national celebrations, and important family gatherings. The dish is traditionally prepared by men in a large three-legged cast-iron pot over an open fire. The simplicity of the recipe â€” just meat, water, and salt â€” allows the quality of Botswana's grass-fed beef to shine through.

What the dish tastes like

Botswana's national dish â€” beef slow-boiled until falling apart, then shredded and pounded to a tender, savory pulled-meat texture, seasoned simply with salt.

When to cook it

Best for Celebrations and weddings, with a easy cooking level and about 195 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Bogobe (sorghum porridge) or pap

Boil the meat

Place the beef pieces and quartered onion in a large heavy pot. Add enough water to cover the meat by about 5cm. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Bone-in cuts give the broth more flavor and body.

Bring to boil 10:00

Skim and simmer

Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for about 3 hours until the meat is completely tender and falling off the bone.

Check occasionally and add more water if the level drops below the meat.

Slow simmer 180:00

Remove bones

Remove the meat from the pot and discard all bones. Reserve the cooking broth. Place the meat on a large wooden board or in a mortar.

Pound and shred

Using two forks or a wooden pestle, pound and shred the meat until it has a fine, pulled texture. Season with salt and pepper.

Traditionally this is done with a wooden pole in the pot itself â€” the pounding action is what gives seswaa its name.

Moisten and serve

Return the shredded meat to the pot and add a few ladles of the reserved broth to keep it moist. Heat through and serve with bogobe, pap, or dumplings.

The cooking broth is precious â€” serve some on the side as a gravy.

Seswaa

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Step-by-step instructions

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