Spicy Nigerian Beef (Whole30, Paleo)

Today’s spicy Nigerian beef recipe comes from one of my favourite paleo and Whole30 bloggers, Melissa Joulwan. She has a few cookbooks in a series called Well Fed (Well Fed 1, Well Fed 2, and Well Fed Weeknights), from which I often cook, and this recipe is from a compilation eBook called Well Fed The Ultimate Remix, which features 60 fantastic (and I’d say some of the most popular) recipes from all 3 of her books.

Spicy Nigerian beef is also known as suya,  a spicy shish kebab which is a popular food item in West Africa. It is traditionally prepared by the Hausa people of northern Nigeria. Instead of cooking the beef as skewers, this recipe simply pan-fries the steak in strips.

The recipe is from the ‘Meat & Potatoes’ section of the book, so this spicy beef is meant to be served over either sweet or white potatoes, which are not included in the recipe below. Melissa’s meal included white potato baked fries, which you can make at the same time as cooking the beef and veggies. Simply cut white or sweet potato into shoe-string fries or strips, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 200 C / 400 F for 18-20 minutes. You can also do carrots or other starchy veggies of your choice.

Spicy Nigerian Beef (Guest Recipe)

• Author: Melissa Joulwan
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Yield: 3-4 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

BEEF

• 1+1/2 pounds beef sirloin
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

SPICE BLEND

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse (granulated) garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cube organic chicken bouillon (omit for Whole30)
• 1/4 cup roasted cashews
• VEGGIES
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 small jalapeño (omit if you don’t want it tongue-tingling)
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Garnish: a handful fresh cilantro,
• 1 lime

Additional potatoes of of choice

• 2 medium sweet potatoes or 4 medium white potatoes, cooked to your preference

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Instructions

1. Prep the meat and spice blend. Cut steak into 1/4-inch strips and place them in a medium mixing bowl. Combine the spice blend ingredients in the food processor bowl and pulse until it resembles a coarse powder; you want chopped nuts, not paste. Sprinkle the spice blend over the meat and toss to coat, pressing the nuts into the meat. Set aside.
2. Cook the veggies. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high, 2 minutes. While it heats, cut the tomatoes into wedges; slice the onion and the jalapeño.(Remove the seeds if you want it less hot.) Add the veggies to the hot oil and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes until crisp tender. Transfer the veggies to a plate.
3. Cook the meat. Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the oil, and let it heat for 1 minute. Add the steak in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then flip it and cook it for an additional 2–3 minutes. Now’s a good time to cut the lime into wedges. Add the veggies to the pan, toss to combine, and turn off the heat.
4. To serve, pile the meat and veggies on the potatoes, then top with cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.

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