Much like other icons such as bobotie or Durban curry, trinchado is a popular spicy import that has been adopted as a firm favourite in South African, and enjoyed a steep rise in popularity over the last 6 decades. With the expansion of Afro-Portuguese nationals from our neighbour-states, and the influx of political refugees since the 1960s revolutionary war in Mozambique, this easy recipe spread quickly from hand to hand, and today the dish can be readily found on menus and in cooks’ kitchens across our land.
Though there are many localised variations on its theme, it is always made with Worcestershire sauce and accompanied by black olives as a condiment. Its ease of preparation and economy of ingredients has uplifted Trinchado as a stand-alone signature, worthy of its cultural and gastronomic significance in our diverse South African culinary makeup.
Coming together in minutes, Trinchado is packed with punchy flavour and spice, presenting a moreish bowl of creamy meaty goodness that locals and visitors have come to enjoy and celebrate. Versatile in its preparation and serving – beef, chicken, lamb and even offal can be used, red wine, port or sherry, enjoyed with bread, pasta or simply on its own, this tapas style fry-up is sure to impress and leave your guests baying for more.
A wondrous alchemy of Mediterranean and Proudly South African, this version using Lamb Rump, brings it even closer to our culinary tradition, using locally sourced and grown ingredients, it speaks of a sense of place and time that will resonate with Mzansi’s diners and revilers at any gathering.
A Kitchen in Prince Albert
For my base of exploration on this recipe, accompanied by a couple of friends, I chose De Keine Prince – an immaculately conceived foodie stay in the magical hamlet of Prince Albert.
I went about on foot, discovering what the town has to offer to an intrepid magpie of culinary delights: Foremost on my list is Gay’s Guernsey Dairy – family owned and run since the early nineties, the taste of their cream is like no other, thick and flavoured like a natural custard. A short walk down Church Street, brings one to the blushing facade of Karoo Slaghuis, where the local butcher, Albert (no relation) offers his expert opinion on the cut of lamb that will best suit my cooking method. He invites me into his chill room to see and feel the lamb on offer. We discuss and philosophise a while, until the middle of the leg of lamb, the rump, is decided on as the winning cut.
All the other ingredients are supplied by Adrian Lombard, the mastermind designer of The Keine Prince, who offers this inspirational space as an environment for content and media creation, as well as a beautifully curated installation to stay and entertain in… Rough ground paprika from the impressive spice-wall, brandy from locally grown grapes, black olives from a Karoo orchard, pepper and dried bayleaf (obviously from a noble tree somewhere close by) Adrian’s Karoo home is a heaven for any cook or foodie!
Spices anyone?
The lamb rump needs more time than the traditional beef Trinchado, but it gives the fruitiness in the brandy that, when flamed atomises the paprika flecks, a slow-cook opportunity to marry and elevate the rich creaminess in the dish. Balanced by the bite in the chilly and the earthy grounded profile of the bay leaf, the olives served with Trinchado is what really brings it all together – pops of the unctuous sweet tartness that somehow makes all the other ingredients sing in harmony.
Shots of bitter fruit followed by sun-kissed pepper, warm chilly and buttery cream. Each bite a revolution onto itself. Good bread must be served alongside, to drench up and enjoy every last bit of that delicious, creamy sweet grassy spicy sauciness that makes Trinchado an acquired icon in South African cuisine.
Written by Dérick van Biljon/ Foodie South Africa
INGREDIENTS
- 1 kg Lamb Rump (cut into chunky strips)
- 50 ml Worcestershire sauce
- 1.5 cup red wine
- 3/4 cloves crushed garlic
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 Tbsp ground paprika, divided
- 2/3 small red chillies chopped (de-seed for less heat)
- 50 ml brandy
- 250 – 300 ml lamb or chicken stock
- 500 ml cream
- 30 ml oil for frying
- 30 g butter
METHOD
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Mix the Worcestershire sauce, wine, 2 Tbsp paprika, garlic, chillies, salt, pepper and bay leaves into the strips of lamb. Cover with cling film and allow to marinade over night in the fridge. Remove to temper 30 min before cooking.
Get your pan well heated on medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan and add about 500 g of the lamb mix. Do not crowd the pan and don’t agitate the meat to much! This way the meat will caramelise while still retaining its juices and tenderness. If you go about it correctly your lamb strips will be grilled in about 2 minutes. Set aside and repeat for rest of the meat.
At this stage have all the lamb in the pan, add a tablespoon of paprika and mix through, this will help to thicken the sauce.
Add the brandy and set to flame. Wait till the flames die out.
Add the stock, and enough cream to just cover the meat.
Add some of the remaining marinade, 1 or 2 Tbps.
Cover the pan and simmer for 15 min on low heat.
Enrich the sauce with a knob of butter and thicken if required. Plate in bowls and serve with bread and black olives. Can be enjoyed with red wine, but I suggest a well chilled lager beer to wash down and reset the pallet.
Enjoy!
Recipe by Dérick van Biljon/ @foodie.south.africa
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