INGREDIENTS

1. Peanuts, roasted, shelled, and skinned and crushed (optional)
2. 2 or 3 pounds beef (or any stew meat), cut into large bite-size pieces
3. Banana leaves
4. Salt
5. Cayenne pepper or red pepper
6. Juice of 2 lemons
7. Chili pepper, chopped (optional)
8. 1 or 2 onions, chopped (optional)

Method:

1. If using peanuts, use less meat so there are equal amounts of peanuts and meat. Remove the peanut shells. Roast the peanuts on a baking sheet in a hot oven or in a large skillet on the stove, stirring often. Remove the skins. Place the peanuts in a saucepan, add enough water to partially cover them, and bring to a slow boil, stirring often. Reduce heat. Crush peanuts with a potato masher. Simmer for 15 minutes, and then add meat and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes, until all the water is evaporated.
2. Warm the banana leaves for a minute in a hot oven, on a grill, or in a pot of boiling water. This makes them easier to fold.
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper directly onto the banana leaves. Place the meat (or meat and peanut mixture), onions, and chili pepper into the banana leaves. Moisten the meat with lemon juice and water. (Skip the lemon juice if using peanuts.)
4. Fold the banana leaves to completely enclose the ingredients in a packet 2 or 3 layers thick. (Use something like the burrito-folding technique. Depending on the amount of leaves, more than one packet may be required. Use ovenproof string to tie them closed.)
5. Steam the packets by placing them on a rack over boiling water in a large covered pot, or cook them over a grill or in an oven. (If using an oven, place aluminum foil under them to catch drips.) Turn them every 10 minutes. Note: In Africa, banana leaf packets are sometimes first steamed and then grilled.
6. After about an hour, carefully open the packet and check the meat. If it is not done, close the packet and continue cooking.
7. Serve with fufu or baton de manioc.