The Slow Cook

As our ambition for transcendent gastronomical experiences reaches new heights, so too does our innovation in creatively getting there. Yet one cooking method stands out as having stood the test of time and taste – the slow cook. In olden days, slow cooking was a necessity. Pots placed over a fire to cook for hours resulted in meals for everyone – big and small families, in urban and rural areas. Indeed, braising, stewing
and smoking meat can be traced back centuries, from the Roman and Mesopotamian empires, to China in the east. It is a universal experience.

Why slow cook?

Slow-cooked meals are made by cooking  ingredients on a low flame for many hours. This technique infuses flavours gradually, simmering food on low heat. It is ideal for stews, soups and curries, as the cooking time breaks down even the toughest cuts of meat. Slow cooking cooks food over time, while also retaining moisture to ensure that dishes are tender and full of flavour.

The roots of the slow cook

Traversing the African culinary landscape takes us from all the way in northwest Africa in the Maghreb region of Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, to the southernmost point of the continent, South Africa. While the former has perfected the mouthwatering flavours of the tagine, South Africans boast the perfect potjie (pronounced poykie) cooked over an open flame for hours.

In northern Africa, tagines are a staple, both as an unusual kitchen tool and as a prominent dish. They are thought to be of nomadic Berber origin, serving as portable ovens that could be easily picked up and moved. The tagine pot consists of two earthenware parts: a shallow, circular base and a conical lid. The genius of the design allows steam to circulate and condense, returning moisture to the dish. Depending on the region, many proteins are prepared in this way – while Moroccan tagine is defined by lamb and dried fruit, slow cooked into a soft, flavourful and almost buttery dish, other regions prefer other meats or seafood, or even seasonal vegetables, chickpeas and aromatic spices in their tagine. These meals, although varied in taste, always offer the same result: a treat of warmly spiced and richly wholesome delights. Cast your eyes down the map to the tip of Africa, where the Atlantic and Indian oceans crash into each other from opposite sides of the world.

There you will find a melting pot of cultures chatting over a cast-iron pot, the three-legged potjie. Potjiekos (literally, small-pot-food) originated from the Dutch, who brought it to South Africa during colonial times. Their sojourning descendants, Voortrekkers from the 1800s, added to their potjies meat and bones (usually venison) that they had hunted, and vegetables, as they trekked into southern Africa’s interior. The slow stewing process of the potjie creates thick, delicious stews and has made mealtime a sharing, communal and bonding experience.

Today, slow-cooking is somewhat erroneously synonymous with ‘dumping it in the crockpot’: erroneous because crockpot cooking is only one of many skilful slow-cooking methods, such as sous-vide, poaching and steaming, and true because it is relatively easy, and serves up a meal that is simultaneously deep and subtle, unique and tied to ancient tradition.

Cholent – a timeless tradition

One of these traditions is the hearty cholent invented by Ashkenazi Jews of Europe in the 12th century. Usually made with meat and bones, potatoes, onion, grains and spices, the cholent’s slow cooking starts on Friday at sunset and ends the next afternoon at lunch time. The slow cook circumvents the Jewish prohibition of cooking on the Shabbat, and has created a timeless tradition of cholent on a Shabbat afternoon.

Far from being lazy cooking, the oftentimes ritualistic nature of this type of cook cannot be overlooked. The preparation and enjoyment of eating slow-cooked meals bring people of all faiths and fares together, and thus, the slow cook should rather be designated body-and-soul sustenance.