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    Home » Recipes » Slow-cooker recipes

    Slow-cooker beef Trinchado

    Published: Apr 3, 2022 · Modified: Nov 9, 2024 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    Jump to recipe

    Layer chopped tomatoes and onions in your slow-cooker, top with marinated beef cubes, cover with a mixture of stock and spices and come home to a mouth-watering meal of spicy slow-cooker beef Trinchado.

    A dish of beef Trinchado alongside a bowl of french fries and garlic bread.

    You won't believe the delicious aromas coming out of your slow-cooker!

    Jump to:
    • What is Trinchado?
    • What is peri-peri?
    • Equipment
    • Ingredients
    • Recipe Steps
    • What to serve with beef Trinchado
    • FAQ
    • Save for later
    • Related recipes
    • 📋The recipe

    What is Trinchado?

    Trinchado is simply a spicy beef stew, which you will find on the menu at any of the numerous Portuguese restaurants in South Africa.

    It's made with tender chunks of stewing beef in a spicy tomato and onion gravy, flavoured with red wine and peri-peri sauce. Trinchado is traditionally served with chunky bread to mop up all the delicious sauce, and a side helping of French fries.

    I've got another recipe for quick and easy beef Trinchado which uses slices of steak and is very popular with my readers. However as this recipe involves some hands-on cooking, I thought I'd adapt it for those of you who prefer using a slow-cooker.

    Because of the long, slow cooking time, you can get away with using cheaper cuts of stewing beef, such as chuck or flank rather than the more expensive cuts of steak. But believe me, you lose absolutely nothing in the flavour department. This slow-cooker beef Trinchado turns out tender, juicy and succulent, with all the fabulous peri-peri flavour, but with minimal effort on your part.

    Red wine adds a richness and depth of flavour to the Trinchado and I recommend adding it. However, if you don't want to add alcohol you can substitute the red wine with extra stock, or even use red grape juice.

    This slow-cooker Trinchado recipe is the ultimate one-pan meal. You don't even have to brown the meat first. Just marinate it in a mixture of cornflour and Worcestershire sauce for 30 minutes, layer it with tomatoes and onions in a spicy sauce and forget about it for a few hours until you are ready to eat.

    You end up with pieces of beef that are so tender you could cut them with a fork!

    Close up of a dish of beef Trinchado showing the tenderness of the beef.

    You can even serve it directly from the inner liner of your slow-cooker, so you save on loads of washing up! How convenient is that?

    What is peri-peri?

    Peri-peri is a small red chilli, similar to a bird's eye chilli, grown in South Africa and the neighbouring Mocambique. This chilli gets its name from the Swahili word for pepper, which is peri, but because it is so hot the name has been doubled to be peri-peri or pepper-pepper.

    The most popular use of the peri-peri chilli is in the famous Nando's peri-peri sauce, which I have used in this recipe. If you'd like to try a Nando's copycat chicken recipe, why not take a look at my recipe for oven-baked peri-peri chicken.

    Equipment

    To make this dish you will need a slow-cooker.

    You will also need a small glass bowl, a sharp knife and a chopping board.

    Ingredients

    **You can get the exact quantities of ingredients for this slow-cooker beef Trinchado recipe on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**

    This recipe serves 4 people.

    Ingredients for the beef and the marinade

    Ingredients to marinate the beef.
    • Stewing beef - this can be chuck, flank or any other tougher cut of beef that benefits from long slow cooking. It should be cut into bite-sized pieces. In the UK, most supermarkets sell packets of ready-cubed stewing steak, which is probably a mixture of various cuts of beef and is ideal for use in this dish.
    • Worcestershire sauce - you may think that the amount of Worcestershire sauce that goes into this Trinchado recipe is too much, but it does contribute to the robust flavour.
    • Cornflour - marinating the beef in a mixture of cornflour and Worcestershire sauce starts to break down the fibres in the meat and helps to tenderise the meat. For US readers, cornflour is also known as cornstarch.

    Ingredients for the gravy

    Ingredients for the Trinchado sauce.
    • Tomatoes - I like to use fresh tomatoes rather than canned. If you don't have fresh tomatoes you can substitute with an equivalent amount (which is about half a can or 1 cup) of canned chopped tomatoes.
    • Onions - these should be coarsely chopped and separated.
    • Garlic - you can use fresh garlic, which should be finely minced, or ready-chopped garlic from a jar.
    • Balsamic vinegar - along with the red wine adds an element of tartness.
    • Peri-peri sauce - this is Nando's peri-peri sauce which is sold in most large supermarkets in the UK. I believe it is also available at Safeway, Kroger and Walmart in the US. For this recipe, you will need about half a cup (140 ml) of sauce. Depending on how hot and spicy you want to make this dish you could use a mild, medium or hot variety. You can buy Nando's in both a sauce and a marinade. I only had the marinade in my cupboard so that's what I went with. If you use the sauce you may need to use less as it will be more concentrated.
    • Beef stock - if you have proper beef stock, then, by all means, use that. Otherwise, dissolve one beef stock cube in 1 cup of boiling water.
    • Red wine - this should be a good-tasting wine that you would actually drink. A wine that doesn't taste good when you drink it won't improve in flavour when you cook with it, and might even spoil the overall taste of the finished dish. My motto is 'if you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it'.
    • Salt and Sugar - this is for seasoning and to your taste. I've found that half a teaspoon of salt is about right for my taste. I like to add a teaspoon of sugar when I cook with tomatoes as I find this mellows the tartness of the tomatoes. Both the salt and the sugar are optional.
    • Cornflour or cornstarch (not pictured) - for thickening the gravy.

    Recipe Steps

    Step 1 - Marinate the beef

    • Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces and place it in a mixing bowl with the cornflour and Worcestershire sauce.
    Pieces of beef marinating in a mixture of cornflour and Worcestershire sauce.
    • Mix thoroughly to coat the beef completely.
    • Cover the dish with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate.

    Step 2 - Prepare the gravy

    • Peel the onions and chop them coarsely. Separate the pieces into individual petals.
    • Peel the garlic and crush.
    • Chop the tomatoes. I don't bother peeling them, but if you want to peel the tomatoes first, here is how you do it.
      • Score the skin of each tomato on the bottom with a cross.
      • Place the tomatoes in a bowl and cover the tomatoes with boiling water.
      • Let them stand for two minutes.
      • Remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and plunge them into a bowl of cold water to cool them down so that you can handle them.
      • Peel the skins away.
    A tomato with the skin being peeled off.

    Step 3 - Assemble and cook

    • Layer the tomatoes, onions and garlic on the bottom of your slow-cooker and top with the marinated beef. Tip in any remaining marinade.
    Tomatoes, onions and beef layered in a slow cooker.
    • Combine the stock, red wine, balsamic vinegar and peri-peri sauce with salt and sugar, and pour the mixture over the meat and vegetables.
    Tomatoes, onions and beef covered with gravy in a slow cooker.
    • Set the slow-cooker to medium and leave for 5 to 6 hours.
    • If you want to speed things up a bit you can cook it on high for 4 to 5 hours.
    • If you want to leave it to cook while you are at work, set it to low and leave it for 6 to 8 hours.
    • To thicken the gravy, make a slurry with 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornflour (or cornstarch) and 3 tablespoons of water, set the slow-cooker to high and mix the cornflour slurry into the Trinchado in the slow-cooker. Leave for 10 minutes until the gravy has thickened.
    • Transfer the Trinchado to a serving dish (or leave it in the slow-cooker dish), garnish with parsley and serve.
    Beef Trinchadco in a serving dish garnished with parsley.

    What to serve with beef Trinchado

    Beef Trinchado is traditionally served with paprika-flavoured French fries and crusty bread or garlic bread, with slices of fresh tomato.

    However, there's nothing stopping you from serving it with a pile of creamy mashed potatoes and a selection of your favourite vegetables.

    A dish of slow cooked beef Trinchado on a table with a fork.

    If you'd like to be notified of new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter? To say thank you, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.

    FAQ

    Where did Trinchado originate?

    Trinchado is believed to have been introduced into South Africa by the Portuguese immigrants from neighbouring Angola and Mocambique. The word Trinchado simply means 'carved', hence the carved or cut-up pieces of meat in the stew.

    How do I freeze Trinchado?

    Pack the cooled stew into a suitable freezer container and freeze for up to 4 months. To use, defrost in the refrigerator and then tip the contents of the container into a saucepan and reheat on the stove.
    You could also defrost and reheat in the microwave.

    Can I make this dish in advance?

    You could prep the Trinchado the night before and leave it in the inner lining of your slow-cooker (covered with the lid) in the refrigerator.
    Next morning before you go to work, simply replace it in your slow-cooker and leave it to cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. (It won't come to any harm if you leave it for longer 🙂 )

    How do I make paprika French fries?

    The easiest way of making paprika French fries is to buy a bag of good quality frozen chips. McCain's is the brand I use in the UK.
    Spread an even layer of the chips onto a baking sheet and sprinkle liberally with salt and paprika then bake them in a hot oven (200C / 400F) for about 30 minutes.
    Turn them with a spatula halfway through the cooking process.
    If they haven't crisped sufficiently after 30 minutes, leave them for a few minutes longer.
    If you prefer to make your own French fries, you can simply sprinkle them with salt and paprika when they come out of the fryer.

    Save for later

    If you'd like to try this recipe for slow-cooker beef Trinchado, why not save it to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click on the image below.

    Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

    Related recipes

    If you enjoyed this slow-cooker beef Trinchado, perhaps you'd like to try some of my other meals made in a slow-cooker:

    • Close up of a piece of flat iron steak on a plate, covered with mushroom and onion sauce.
      Slow cooker flat iron steak
    • A piece of short rib on a pile of mashed potatoes on a white plate with vegetables and gravy.
      Slow-cooker short ribs in monkey gland sauce
    • Easy slow-cooker beef stroganoff
    • A blue dinner plate with peas and a helping of mashed potatoes smothered with braised steak and onions.
      Slow cooker braised steak and onions

    For more meals cooked in a slow-cooker, visit my slow-cooker recipes page.

    📋The recipe

    A dish of slow cooked beef Trinchado on a table with a fork.

    Slow-cooker beef Trinchado

    Layer chopped tomatoes and onions in your slow-cooker, top with marinated beef cubes, cover with a mixture of stock and spices, and come home to a mouth-watering meal of spicy slow-cooker beef Trinchado.
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Main Course
    South African
    Calories 336
    Prep 20 minutes minutes
    Marinate 30 minutes minutes
    Cook 6 hours hours
    Total Time 6 hours hours 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 3 votes

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • Slow cooker
    • Small mixing bowl
    • Sharp Knife
    • Chopping Board

    Ingredients

    Meat and marinade

    • 1 pound / 450 grams good quality stewing beef flank or chuck
    • 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 tablespoons cornflour / cornstarch

    Gravy

    • 4 medium tomatoes coarsely chopped
    • 1 large onion peeled, chopped and separated
    • 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
    • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    • ½ cup / 120 ml red wine sub with extra gravy or red grape juice
    • ½ cup /120 ml Nando's hot peri-peri sauce or use a mild or medium variety
    • 1 cup beef stock or make with a stock cube and water
    • ½ teaspoon salt optional
    • 1 teaspoon sugar optionl
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons cornflour / cornstarch for thickeing

    Instructions

    • Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces and place into a mixing bowl.
      1 pound / 450 grams good quality stewing beef
    • Add the Worcestershire sauce and the cornflour and stir well to combine.
      2 tablespoons cornflour / cornstarch, 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    • Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for half an hour.
    • While the meat is marinting, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Chop the tomtoes and onions and mince the garlic and place them into the slow-cooker.
      4 medium tomatoes, 1 large onion, 2 cloves garlic
    • Combine the stock, red wine, balsamic vinegar, peri-peri sauce, salt and sugar in a measuring jug or similar.
      1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, ½ cup / 120 ml red wine, ½ cup /120 ml Nando's hot peri-peri sauce, 1 cup beef stock, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar
    • Once the meat has marinated, arrange it on the vegetables in the slow-cooker and tip in any remaining marinade and pour in the prepared stock.
    • Turn on the slow-cooker and cook as follows:
      Low - 6 to 8 hours
      Medium - 5 to 6 hours
      High - 4 to 5 hours
    • To thicken the gravy, make a slurry with a tablespoon of cornflour (or cornstarch) and 3 tablespoons of water, set the slow-cooker to high and mix the cornflour slurry into the Trinchado in the slow-cooker. Leave for 10 minutes until the gravy has thickened.
      1 to 2 tablespoons cornflour / cornstarch
    • Transfer the Trinchado to a serving dish (or leave it in the slow-cooker dish), garnish with parsley and serve with paprika french fries and/or crusty bread.

    Notes

    How to make paprika french fries:
    • The easiest way of making paprika French fries is to buy a bag of good quality frozen chips. McCain's is the brand I use in the UK.
    • Spread an even layer of the chips onto a baking sheet and sprinkle liberally with salt and paprika then bake them in a hot oven (200C / 400F) for about 30 minutes.
    • Turn them with a spatula half-way through the cooking process.
    • If they haven't crisped sufficiently after 30 minutes, leave them for a few minutes longer.
    • If you prefer to make your own French fries, you can simply sprinkle them with salt and paprika when they come out of the fryer.
    How to peel tomatoes:
    • Score the skin of each tomato on the bottom with a cross.
    • Place the tomatoes in a bowl and cover the tomatoes with boiling water.
    • Let them stand for two minutes.
    • Remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and plunge them into a bowl of cold water to cool them down so that you can handle them.
    • Peel the skins away.

    Nutrition

    Calories - 336kcal | Carbohydrates - 20.4g | Protein - 36.3g | Fat - 8.2g | Saturated Fat - 2.7g | Cholesterol - 101mg | Sodium - 540mg | Potassium - 860mg | Fiber - 3.1g | Sugar - 9.1g | Calcium - 28mg | Iron - 22mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

    Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
    All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
    Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
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    If you made this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love it if you could give me a star rating in the comments below. And if you'd like to get in touch, you can email me at [email protected]. I'd love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list so you can grab yourself a copy of my FREE COOKBOOK!

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    About VJ

    Before I started my food blog I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, mostly made from scratch, using everyday pantry ingredients.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Laszlo

      July 21, 2024 at 8:17 am

      5 stars
      Great recipe, came out beautifully, family really enjoyed it

      Reply
      • VJ

        July 22, 2024 at 11:50 am

        Glad you enjoyed it - thanks for letting me know!

        Reply
    2. Cat | Curly's Cooking

      April 23, 2022 at 10:21 pm

      5 stars
      This looks so rich and comforting. I love the flavours you have used.

      Reply
      • VJ

        April 24, 2022 at 5:34 am

        It's one of my family's favourite dishes - I'm guaranteed empty plates whenever I make this 🙂

        Reply

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