September 30, 2025

Whole Roasted Beef Rib, N’dolé

Recipe by Duncan Welgemoed, Chef and Owner

Serves 4

Ham hock
1 hock
1 litre water
1 bunch thyme
2 cloves garlic
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 brown onion, roughly chopped
1 bunch celery leaves

Beef
1 kg rib-eye rack of aged beef
500 g golden chard
3 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped
1 tbsp biryani spice mix
250 ml ham hock stock
200 g kapenta or ikan bilis (dried Lake Tanganyika sardines, available from selected African food stores, or substitute with ikan bilis, available from Asian food stores)
Olive oil, for brushing
1 kg large spinach, roughly chopped
Sea salt
Black pepper

Ham hock
Put all ingredients in a pot and bring to the boil for 2 hours. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve the liquid. Set aside 250 ml for cooking.

Beef

Take the rib out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. To make the N'Dole, sweat onions, garlic, chillies and biryani spice in a deep pot. Add kapenta/ikan bilis and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add chard and spinach and cook until all water has evaporated. Deglaze the pot with ham hock stock and season to taste.

Light the barbecue and wait until the coals have ashed. Brush the rib of beef with olive oil and caramelise one side, then flip and caramelise the other side. Continue flipping from side to side for 15 minutes, brushing with olive oil as you go. Leave to rest for 7.5 minutes.

To serve
Season liberally with salt and pepper.
Carve and serve with N'Dole. Flatbread and pickled vegetables work well as a side.