Ho-Hum Botswana

There is nothing especially intriguing about the cuisine of Botswana. The landlocked African country uses a lot of sorghum, maize, and goat meat in their cooking. I had no intention of using any of these ingredients. But then I read about Seswaa, a special occasion dish using brisket, and this is the route I took.

As far as special event meals go, Seswaa seemed pretty darn simple. I purchased a brisket cut of beef and cut it into large chunks. I placed the chunks in a pot and added water until the meat was covered. As directed, I boiled the meat for two hours. I then trimmed the chunks of fat and shredded them. In a new pan, I fried onions and garlic until soft. I added the shredded brisket to the onions so that it caramelized slightly and warmed through. I cheated and used instant polenta, and I piled the shredded beef on top.

Overall, the dish was pretty bland, despite the salt and pepper I added. With a little bit of Tabasco and some shredded Monterey Jack in the polenta, the dinner became enjoyable.

Botswana offered us a mediocre meal, and it's score reflects that: 2.5.