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The African Gourmet

The African Gourmet: Explore African Culture & Recipes

One bowl of fufu can explain a war. One proverb can outsmart a drought.
Welcome to the real Africa—told through food, memory, and truth.

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For 19 years, The African Gourmet has preserved Africa's stories is currently selected for expert consideration by the Library of Congress Web Archives, the world's premier guardian of cultural heritage.

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Osso Bucco is an African comfort food

Osso Bucco is an African comfort food recipe popular in Nigeria.


Osso Buco African food recipes

Make easy beef osso buco African food recipe tonight for dinner since all the ingredients are found at your local supermarket. Serve our Nigerian recipe with boiled yams for a traditional comfort food dish.

A little note about beef osso buco or cow leg African food. Osso buco or cow leg is the cut of meat in the back of the cow's leg between the ankle and knee. It is a heavily worked cut meaning, cuts from parts of the cow that are most active and typically have more beefy flavor, and a dark red color. 

You need to braise osso buco for a long period of time, because there’s inner-muscular sinew and a marrow bone in the middle of the cut. When the sinew and marrow renders, it melts into the meat, adding a level of richness.When you braise osso buco for a long time the cut of meat becomes thick, delightful and delectable.

The recipe below for Nigerian Beef Osso Buco uses leg shanks for a traditional African food dish.

Nigerian Beef Osso Bucco African Comfort Food Recipe


Ingredients

3 cups yams, diced 

7 hot peppers, chopped

1 cup palm oil

1 tablespoon dried crayfish powder

2 cow legs cut into bit sized pieces (ask your butcher or local supermarket meat section to cut the cow leg for you)

2 yellow onions, diced

2 bell peppers, diced

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 vegetable maggi cubes

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 dry bay leaf

2 whole cloves

1 tablespoon lemon zest

6 cups water


Directions
In a large pot add baking soda, spices and herbs and boil the cow meat until the beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add the onions and peppers and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the yams and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more. Add broth or water if the stew is dry. Serve with garri or fresh bread.

Nigerian Beef Osso Buco recipe uses leg shanks


Bonus recipe
Best Garri Fritters Recipe to Eat with Nigerian Beef Osso Bucco.
 
Garri Fritter Recipes
Ingredients

2 cups cassava flour

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 - 1/3 cups water

1-2 cups oil for frying

Directions
In a large frying pan heat vegetable oil. Add all ingredients, mix well and form small fritters, fry until golden brown about 3 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with extra salt or curry powder before serving.

Make easy beef osso buco and fried garri African food recipes for dinner. Serve our Osso buco or cow leg African Comfort Food and add African food richness.

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African woman farmer

She Feeds Africa

Before sunrise, after sunset, seven days a week — she grows the food that keeps the continent alive.

60–80 % of Africa’s calories come from her hands.
Yet the land, the credit, and the recognition still belong to someone else.

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To every mother of millet and miracles —
thank you.

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