Seswaa is a treasured Botswana dish of beef simmered until tender, then pounded or shredded into rich, savory strands.
The meat is intentionally seasoned simply so its flavor stands out beside creamy sorghum bogobe and tender greens.
Keep enough cooking liquid to moisten the shredded beef; seswaa should be succulent rather than dry.
Serving Suggestions
Serve seswaa hot with bogobe and sautéed greens, spooning a little reduced beef broth over the meat.
Recipe Notes
Beef chuck gives the best balance of flavor and tenderness. The seswaa can be cooked a day ahead and reheated gently.
Botswana Seswaa with Bogobe
Tender Botswana shredded beef served with smooth sorghum bogobe and sautéed leafy greens.
Equipment
- Dutch oven with lid
- Wooden spoon
- Medium saucepan
- Large skillet
Ingredients
Seswaa
- 2 lb beef chuck cut into large pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion quartered
- 2 cups water plus more if needed
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Bogobe
- 1 1/2 cups fine sorghum meal
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
Greens
- 1 lb collard greens or kale stems removed and leaves sliced
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
Instructions
Cook the Seswaa:
- Place the beef, quartered onion, water, salt, and pepper in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer gently for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until the beef falls apart.
- Transfer the beef to a bowl. Discard the onion, reserve the broth, and shred or pound the beef until finely separated.
- Return the beef to the pot with 1 cup of reserved broth. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes until moist and concentrated.
Make the Bogobe:
- Bring 3 cups of the water and the salt to a boil. Whisk the sorghum meal with the remaining 1 cup cold water, then slowly whisk it into the pot.
- Reduce the heat and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often, until thick and smooth.
Cook the Greens:
- Heat the oil in a skillet. Cook the chopped onion for 5 minutes, add the greens and salt, and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until tender.
- Serve the seswaa with hot bogobe and greens.
Notes
- Add hot water during simmering if the beef begins to dry out.
- Sorghum meal thickens as it stands; loosen bogobe with a splash of hot water before serving if needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 560kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 42gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 610mgFiber: 7gSugar: 3g