How to cook kudu stew on the stove (plus a game potjie)

How to cook kudu stew: the short version

Kudu is dark, rich and very lean. That makes it wonderful in a stew, but only if you treat it properly. Lean meat has little fat to keep it moist, so it needs three things: browning for flavour, added fat or bacon, and a long gentle simmer in liquid. Rush it, boil it hard or leave out the fat and you get dry, stringy meat.

The recipe below is a stove-top stew, followed by a potjie variation. Both work for kudu and for any antelope shoulder, such as springbok, blesbok or impala. If you are not sure what venison actually is, start with our guide to venison in South Africa.

Which cut to use for kudu meat stew

Stew is for the hard-working cuts. Shoulder, neck and shank have plenty of connective tissue, and that is exactly what turns into soft meat and a glossy sauce after a few hours of slow cooking. Avoid the tender back cuts, which are better as steaks.

• Game goulash: cubed shoulder. The easiest choice for a stove-top stew because it is already cut into even pieces. Our Goulash is 1 kg of cubed shoulder.
• Neck and skenkels: bone-in neck and shank pieces. They need longer, but they give the richest sauce, and they are perfect for a potjie. Our Neck & Skenkels is 1 kg.

Our goulash pack does not name the species, so we call it game goulash. Kudu or any other antelope shoulder works the same way.

Kudu stew on the stove: ingredients

This serves four to six.

• 1 kg game goulash (cubed shoulder), patted dry
• 4 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 carrots, cut into thick rounds
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 250 ml red wine (or extra stock)
• 500 ml beef or vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves and a few sprigs of thyme
• Salt and black pepper

How to cook kudu stew on the stove: method

1. Take the meat out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Pat the cubes dry with paper towel and season well with salt and pepper.
2. Fry the bacon in a heavy pot over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until the fat runs. Lift the bacon out and leave the fat in the pot.
3. Add the oil, turn the heat up and brown the meat in three batches, about 3 minutes per batch, until dark on the outside. Do not crowd the pot, or the meat will steam instead of brown. Set each batch aside.
4. Lower the heat and soften the onions in the same pot for about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and paprika and stir for 1 minute.
5. Stir in the tomato paste and flour and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Pour in the wine and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it bubble for 2 minutes.
7. Return the meat and bacon to the pot. Add the stock, bay leaves and thyme.
8. Bring to a gentle bubble, then turn the heat to the lowest setting, cover with the lid slightly open and simmer for 2 hours. Stir every 30 minutes and top up with a splash of water if it looks dry.
9. Add the carrots and simmer for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cube of meat breaks easily against the side of the pot.
10. Taste, adjust the salt and rest the stew off the heat for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with pap, mashed potato or rice. A hard boil toughens lean meat, so keep it at a lazy simmer with only a few bubbles breaking the surface.

Game potjie recipe for South Africa

A game potjie uses the same idea with a cast-iron pot and slow coals. Use the neck and skenkels here, because the bones add body to the gravy. Plan for around 3 hours, and do not stir once the lid is on, except to check the liquid now and then.

Potjie ingredients

• 1 kg neck and skenkels
• 4 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 500 g baby potatoes, halved
• 3 carrots, thickly sliced
• 250 ml red wine
• 250 ml beef stock
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and black pepper

Potjie method

1. Heat the pot on a small bed of coals. Fry the bacon with the oil for 5 minutes.
2. Season the meat and brown it in batches for about 3 minutes per side. Set it aside.
3. Fry the onions and garlic in the pot for 8 minutes, then add the paprika.
4. Pour in the wine, scrape the bottom and return the meat. Add the stock and bay leaves.
5. Put the lid on and keep the coals low, with only a few under the pot. Cook gently for 2 hours.
6. Layer the carrots and potatoes on top of the meat without stirring. Replace the lid and cook for another hour until the meat comes off the bone and the potatoes are soft.
7. Season to taste and serve straight from the pot.

Tips for tender kudu meat

• Always add fat. Bacon, oil or a spoon of butter makes up for what lean game does not have.
• Keep it low and slow. A gentle simmer for 2 to 3 hours is what softens the connective tissue.
• Brown in batches. A crowded pan steams the meat and you lose the deep flavour.
• Keep a lid on and keep liquid in the pot. Add a splash of stock if it reduces too far.
• Make it a day ahead. Stews improve overnight, and you can reheat them gently.

If you want more game ideas for the week, see our game mince recipes.

Where to get the meat

Our game is free-roaming South African game with no feedlots, cut to order by hand and vacuum sealed. It ships nationwide in sealed cold boxes held at 0-5°C. The Goulash and Neck & Skenkels are both 1 kg packs, and the Wild Pantry Box holds both, along with Game Mince, Ostrich Mince and Stir Fry.