Thuli Gogela of Mzanzistylecuisine.co.za believes in preserving heritage. That’s why she makes a point of using indigenous ingredients in her dishes. She blends them with flair and originality to create tasty new creations that will have the most disciplined diners demanding seconds.

Using the famous wild spinach of Southern Africa known as morogo as her inspiration, she created a spinach and maize meal filling for butterflied beef tenderloin, smartly dressed in a smoked cheese and white wine sauce.

Her recommendation is to serve it with Nederburg’s gourmet Bordeaux-inspired blend, The Brew Master, from the gourmet Heritage Heroes collection.

“This is a truly South African table experience. We’ve taken several traditions and combined them into something we can claim as uniquely our own. It reflects the contributions of different communities, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The exact same can be said for this graceful yet intensely flavoured red blend that sees Cabernet Sauvignon in the lead, backed up by Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc to create a deliciously harmonious whole.”

Sgwamba and olive stuffed beef tenderloin with smoked cheese and wine sauce, paired with Nederburg Heritage Heroes The Brew Master

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

Stuffing (Sgwamba)

15ml (1 Tbsp) canola or olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped or minced

250 – 300g spinach, shredded

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated OR ½ yellow or red pepper, chopped

1 chicken stock cube, crumbled

250ml (1 cup) boiling water

250ml (1 cup) quick cooking maize meal

125ml (½ cup) cold water

Handful of parsley, chopped

Salt and freshly milled black pepper, to taste

Beef

1kg beef tenderloin, trimmed and butterflied

15ml (1 Tbsp) balsamic vinegar

15ml (1 Tbsp) olive oil

2.5ml (½ tsp) salt

2.5ml (½ tsp) freshly milled black pepper

60ml (4 Tbsp) Kalamata olives, deseeded and chopped

Smoked cheese and wine sauce

375ml (1½ cup) full cream milk

30ml (2 Tbsp) flour

100ml Dutch smoked cheese, grated

100ml dry white wine (Nederburg 56Hundred Chenin Blanc)

Salt and freshly milled black pepper, to taste

Method:

Stuffing (Sgwamba)

1. In a medium sized saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the onion, garlic, spinach, and carrots (or pepper).
2. Dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water, and add to the spinach mixture.
3. Make a paste with the maize meal and cold water. Add to the spinach mixture and stir vigorously using a wooden spoon.
4. Mix in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.
5. Close the lid, lower the heat and let it cook for 2 minutes.
6. Remove from the stove and let it cool down for about 5 to 10 minutes before scooping it on the beef.

Beef

1. Ask your butcher to butterfly the tenderloin for you.  Lay the butterflied tenderloin flat on a chopping board.  Rub with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Leave to marinate while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven to 230°C.
3. Once prepared, place the Sgwamba mixture in the centre of the butterflied tenderloin.
4. Sprinkle with olives and form the meat into a roll ensuring the stuffing remains on the inside.
5. Tie with kitchen twine and place on a greased shallow roasting pan.
6. Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes.  Let it stand for 10 minutes.  Remove the twine and cut into thick slices.

Smoked cheese and wine sauce

1. In a small saucepan, boil 1 cup of milk. Make a paste with flour and the rest of the milk. Add to the boiling milk, whisk in cheese and wine. Season with salt and pepper. Lower the temperature and keep stirring until the sauce thickens to the desirable level.

Serve the stuffed beef tenderloin, covered in the sauce, with roasted or steamed veggies. Enjoy with Nederburg Heritage Heroes The Brew Master 2011.