#WineTourismZACooks Instant Pot® Ostrich Steak Trinchado

Trinchado is appearing on more and more restaurant menus these days. I was not sure what it is, so I looked it up.

Most online resources describe it as a spicy meat dish of Angolan and Mozambican origin, but the best description I have found is on www.FinGlobal.com: “Trinchado is a Portuguese word that means “cut up” or “carved” in English. This makes perfect sense because a Trinchado recipe, when followed correctly, is a bowl of cut up or carved meat pieces braised in a spicy or mild Mozambican peri peri sauce.”

I have subsequently ordered the dish at one or two restaurants, but I thought I can do better at home. Most recipes I have found use beef steak, but I thought I want to go for a healthier option, so I am using ostrich. Ostrich meat is rich in iron and zinc and it is a great way to reduce your fat and cholesterol intake.

To reduce the cooking time of 1 - 2 hours as indicated in most recipes I decided to use my Instant Pot®, but if you do not have an Instant Pot®, use a potjie or a casserole pot, just double-up the red wine and beef stock quantity have I used in the recipe below.

Instant Pot® Ostrich Steak Trinchado

Serves 2 [Print PDF]

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp. canola oil
1 tbsp. butter
500 gram ostrich steak, cut into 25mm cubes
1 large white onion chopped
2 tsps. smoked paprika
1 tbsp. smoked chilli flakes
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 large garlic cloves crushed
2 tsp corn flour
½ cup red wine and some extra to deglaze the pot
½ cup beef stock
50g tomato paste
2 tsps. sugar
2 bay leaves
10 – 15 Kalamata olives, pits removed
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional: 1 - 2 tbsps. of your favourite peri-peri (hot, medium or mild) sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

I marinated the ostrich cubes at room temperature in a mixture of 1 tbsp. of soy sauce and 2 tbsps. red wine. Drain the marinade before cooking the cubes.
Season the ostrich cubes with salt, pepper & paprika.
Turn the Instant Pot onto Sauté mode and add the canola oil and butter. Allow for it to warm up and then brown the ostrich cubes on all sides in two batches. Remove ostrich cubes from the cooker and set aside.
Sauté the onion and chilli flakes for about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Sprinkle over the corn flour and stir continuously for about 2 minutes.
Deglaze the cooker with a splash of red wine while you keep stirring and allowing wine to evaporate.
Add the remaining red wine, beef stock, balsamic vinegar and bay leaves.
Stir in the tomato paste, sugar, peri-peri sauce and the ostrich cubes in their juices and simmer for another minute or two.
Cancel the Sauté mode to switch the Instant Pot off.
Place the lid onto the Instant Pot, making sure the valve is in the Sealing position and cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes.
Allow to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes then release remaining pressure.
Turn on the “Sauté” function, add the pitted Kalamata olives and cook until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.