Mtori (Mtori) — Tanzanian Banana-Beef Soup

• 900 gbeef shank, bone-in
• 450 gbeef marrow bones (adds body to the mtori broth)
• 2.4 lwater
• 8green cooking bananas (ndizi mbichi, peeled just before cooking)
• 2medium potatoes
• 1large onion
• 2tomatoes
• 3 clovegarlic
• 1 inchfresh ginger
• 2 tbspneutral cooking oil
• 2 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspground black pepper
• 20 mlfresh lemon juice
• 8 sprigfresh cilantro

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the beef shank and marrow bones under cold running water, then place them in a heavy soup pot with 2.4 l water and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a steady boil over medium-high heat, skim off the gray foam for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

2. 2

   Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and simmer the beef for 1 hour 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender enough to pull from the bone. Add 300 ml hot water during cooking if the liquid drops below the level of the bones.

3. 3

   While the broth cooks, finely chop the onion, tomatoes, garlic, and ginger. Peel the ndizi mbichi and potatoes, then cut them into 3 cm chunks so they soften evenly in the mtori.

4. 4

   Lift the cooked beef and bones onto a tray and strain the broth through a fine sieve into a bowl. Pull the meat into bite-size pieces, discard small bone fragments, and keep the marrow if you enjoy its rich flavor.

5. 5

   Wipe the pot clean, add the oil, and warm it over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and cook for 6 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more without letting them brown.

6. 6

   Stir in the tomatoes, the remaining 1 tsp salt, and the black pepper, then cook for 8 minutes until the tomatoes collapse into a thick base. Return the strained beef broth to the pot and scrape the bottom so the aromatics dissolve into the soup.

7. 7

   Add the green bananas and potatoes, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 25 minutes. The ndizi should be completely tender and easy to crush against the side of the pot with a spoon.

8. 8

   Mash about two-thirds of the bananas and potatoes directly in the pot with a wooden spoon or potato masher, leaving some pieces whole for texture. Return the shredded beef and marrow to the soup and simmer for 10 minutes so the mtori becomes creamy and cohesive.

9. 9

   Stir in the lemon juice and chopped cilantro, then simmer for 2 minutes to brighten the broth. Taste the soup for balance, keeping the measured seasoning as written, and serve hot in deep bowls.