Shoko (Beef and Spinach Stew)

Ingredients

• •6 small canned tomatoes, with juice
• •1 whole fresh hot chili
• •4 medium onions, whole
• •1/4 cup green bell pepper
• •6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• •1 pound stewing beef, cut in cubes
• •1 cup water [or beef broth]
• •1/4 teaspoon sugar
• •1/4 teaspoon salt
• •2 teaspoons cayenne [more or less to taste]
• •1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• •3/4 to 1 pound fresh spinach

Directions

1. 1Reserve 1/2 cup of juice from the canned tomatoes, and discard the rest of the juice. Combine the chili, tomatoes, onions, and green bell pepper in a food processor, and process until the vegetables are minced but not pureed.
2. 2Heat the oil in a large, cast-iron pot, and sauté the vegetables and beef for 5 minutes over high heat.
3. 3Add the reserved tomato juice, water sugar, salt, cayenne, and ginger. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally to keep from burning.
4. 4Meanwhile, soak the spinach in warm water for 15 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly, separate, rinse again (and even a third time if you want to be extra careful), shred coarsely, and set aside.
5. 5After 2 hours, add the spinach to the pot and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, until the water is gone and the spinach is cooked.
6. 6About half an hour before serving, prepare boiled rice. Serve Shoko with rice or with yam fu-fu.