A well-rounded protein-rich meal
A stew made with game meat, such as deer or wild boar, is rich in protein as well as heme iron which is a highly bioavailable form. This contributes to muscle building and repair as well as prevention of anaemia. Plus, game meat contains less saturated fat than most other types of meat.
This stew recipe comes with a side of roasted vegetables including sweet potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes. This adds a nice portion of carbs, fibre, as well as vitamin A and potassium. It supports healthy digestion and immune system. Overall, it’s a well-balanced meal that gives your body a wide spectrum of essential nutrients.
How to fit a stew in a cycling diet?
This recipe yields a hearty stew that will not only nourish the body but also creates a pleasant feeling of comfort. It can be slower to digest due to the fat and fibre content, so it’s ideal as a dinner after a long ride. It will give your body all the fuel and nutrients needed to recover and stay strong.
Check out the video recipe to see chef Matti Stiens at work. The stew gets a thumbs up from Yara Kastelijn, European cyclocross champion and a Tour de France stage winner from Team Fenix–Deceuninck.
The ingredients below will yield about 4 servings and each of these will have approximately 1020 kcal, 72 g of protein, 96 g of carbs, 38g of fat, and 17 g of fibre.
Ingredients
For the stew:
800 g game meat, in cubes (e.g. deer, wild boar)
150 g bacon, lean, in cubes
2 pcs onions, large
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Krieken beer, 1 trappist beer
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp apple spread
2 twigs thyme, 2 bay leaves, 3 cloves
1 slice gingerbread cake
1 tsp mustard, coarse
Salt and pepper to taste
For the roasted veggies:
400 g sweet potato, in cubes
400 g jerusalem artichoke, peeled and sliced
400 g celeriac, in cubes
3 tbsp olive oil
Fresh thyme, salt, pepper
For the red onion confit:
4 red onions, thinly sliced rings
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 twig thyme, salt
Directions
1. To make the stew, mix the meat with the flour. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the bacon cubes and add the meat. Fry the meat all around until brown and remove it from the pan.
2. Fry the onions and garlic in the same pan until they are translucent, then add the cherry Krieken beer and Trappist beer.
3. Put the meat back in the pan along with the thyme, bay leaves, cloves and apple syrup. Season with salt and pepper. Add the gingerbread cake and mustard. Turn the heat to low and let the whole thing simmer for about 2,5 hours with the lid on the pan. Stir occasionally.
4. To make the roasted veggies, preheat the oven to 200°C. Mix the sweet potato, Jerusalem artichoke and celeriac in a bowl with olive oil, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.
5. Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Roast them for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown and soft. Scoop halfway.
6. To make the red onion confit, heat olive oil in a saucepan over low heat. Add the red onions and fry them gently for 10 minutes.
7. Add balsamic vinegar, honey or brown sugar, rosemary (optional) and a pinch of salt.
8. Let this simmer gently for another 15 minutes until the moisture has largely evaporated and the onions are soft.
10. Serve the finished stew with a side of roasted veggies and red onion confit.
