Fried Meat recipes courtesy of The Nigerian Cookbook by Miriam Isoun and H.O. Antonio

Fried meat is often prepared from meat as soon as it is brought from the market as it can be stored for some time and used as needed for soups and stews. Fried meat is also popularly served at parties as small chop or with meatless jollof or coconut rice.

Ingredients                                                 Handy measure

5 cm chunks of meat                                15 pieces                                       Salt                                                             ½ teaspoon

Dry ground red pepper                              ½ teaspoon

Garlic, optional                                           4 cloves

Ginger, dry or fresh optional                      ¼ tea spoon

Directions

1. If the meat has been washed before being cut into pieces, further washing is not necessary as it would remove valuable nutrients.
2. If, however, it was purchased in chunks, a quick rinse in cold water is advisable. Put the meat in a pot with a teaspoon of salt and add water to almost cover.
3. Boil and then turn the heat down to its lowest point. Cover and simmer until the meat is tender and almost all the water has evaporated ( 40 minutes – 1 hour). A pressure cooker will cut the time in half – follow the manufacturers’ instructions.
4. Remove the meat and drain well, saving the stock for stews. Coat each piece of meat well with a mixture of salt, dry pepper, crushed garlic, and/or crushed fresh ginger to taste. Deep fry in hot fat until brown on all sides and dry. Care should be taken here as the steam which escapes and the splattering from the water in the meat can be dangerous.