Ingredients
Meat
- 1 kgsmoked game meat, legally sourced
- or 1 kg smoked farmed meat: goat, pork or beef
- hot water, for soaking
Base
- 3onions, chopped
- 6garlic cloves, crushed
- 4tomatoes, chopped
- 150 mlred palm oil
- 3piri piri chillies, chopped
- 1stock cube
- 2bay leaves
- 1 teaspoonground ginger
To cook
- 1 litrewater
- salt and black pepper
- a handful of chopped herbs
To serve
- boiled cassava or yam
- plantain
- rice
Directions
- Rinse it well under running water first. Scrub it with a brush if it is heavily coated. Leave it to soak for at least an hour. It softens and swells as it takes up water.
- Drain the softened meat thoroughly. Cut it into large chunks with a heavy knife. Check it over and remove any small bones. Some pieces will still be quite firm.
- Warm it gently to melt it before use. Never let palm oil smoke or bleach in the pan. Warm the palm oil gently in a large pot. Add the chopped onions to the oil. Cook them for about eight minutes until soft. Keep the heat moderate throughout.
- Add the garlic and the chopped chillies. Cook them for a good two minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and the ground ginger. Cook them down for about eight minutes. The mixture should thicken into a rough sauce. Add the chunks of soaked smoked meat. Turn them over in the sauce to coat them. Let them fry in it for five minutes.
- Crumble the stock cube into it. Add the bay leaves to the pot. Pour in the water to cover the meat. Season it with salt and black pepper.
- Bring it up to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and lower the heat. Let it cook for about ninety minutes. Check it every half hour and stir it. Top up with hot water if it dries out. Judging when it is ready takes a fork. Take the lid off to reduce it if it is thin.
- Taste it and adjust the salt and the chilli. Serving it is done hot with a starch. Scatter chopped herbs over the top. It keeps three days refrigerated.
Technique
- Bioko Island holds endemic primates including the Bioko drill and Preuss’s monkey, several of them endangered, and the bush meat trade is a documented driver of their decline.
- Handling and butchering wild primates carries a real zoonotic disease risk, with Ebola and monkeypox transmission both linked to it.
- The cooking method here works with any legally sourced smoked meat, and smoked farmed goat, pork or beef all suit it.
Substitutions
- Smoked farmed goat, pork or beef stand in directly and cook the same way.
- Groundnut oil can replace red palm oil, though the colour and flavour change completely.
Variations
- Fresh rather than smoked meat is stewed the same way and cooks faster.
- Some households add ground egusi or groundnut to thicken the sauce.
- Similar smoked meat stews are cooked across West and Central Africa.
History
Bush meat remains central to Equatoguinean diets on Bioko and in Río Muni, and its open sale in Malabo markets is closely studied by conservationists.
Frequently asked questions
What is Carne de monte?
Carne de monte is a main from Equatorial Guinea: smoked forest game stewed with palm oil and chili, sold at Malabo markets. Bush meat remains central to Equatoguinean diets on Bioko and in Río Muni, and its open sale in Malabo markets is closely studied by conservationists.
How long does Carne de monte take to make?
Carne de monte takes 30 minutes plus soaking of preparation and 2 hours of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Carne de monte?
Yes, within limits. Smoked farmed goat, pork or beef stand in directly and cook the same way. Groundnut oil can replace red palm oil, though the colour and flavour change completely.
What is the most important thing to get right in Carne de monte?
Warm it gently to melt it before use. Never let palm oil smoke or bleach in the pan. Warm the palm oil gently in a large pot. Add the chopped onions to the oil. Cook them for about eight minutes until soft. Keep the heat moderate throughout.
