A flavorful stew of silky amaranth leaves and tender cubes of beef, seasoned with ground crayfish.
1/2 pound (225g) bone-in or boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 small red onion (about 3 ounces; 80g), thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ground crayfish (see note)
1 teaspoon (3g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt use half as much by volume or the same weight
1/4 teaspoon Nigerian red dry pepper
For the Efo Riro:
2 pounds (905g) fresh cockscomb amaranth or spinach, washed well of any sand or grit (see note)
2 medium red onions (8 1/2 ounces; 250g), half thinly sliced and half roughly chopped, divided
2 large plum tomatoes (10 1/2 ounces; 300g total), cored, half a tomato thinly sliced crosswise and the rest roughly chopped, divided
2 red bell peppers (14 ounces; 400g total), stemmed, halved, seeded, and roughly chopped
1/3 cup (80ml) unrefined red palm oil, such as Obiji
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground crayfish (see note)
1 to 2 teaspoons iru (also sold as fermented locust beans or dawadawa), optional (see note)
1/4 to 1 fresh Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, stemmed, seeded (if desired), and finely chopped
Nigerian red dry pepper, to taste
For the Beef: In a medium pot, combine beef, onion, crayfish, salt, dry pepper, and 3 cups (710ml) water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until beef is tender, about 1 hour. Using a slotted spoon, remove beef and transfer to a medium heatproof bowl and set aside. Reserve stock (you should have about 1 cup; see note).
For the Efo Riro: Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. In a medium or large pot of salted boiling water, cook amaranth or spinach until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately transfer to prepared ice bath to cool.
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Transfer amaranth to strainer and squeeze to remove excess moisture; discard liquid. Transfer amaranth to a work surface and finely chop; set aside.
In a blender, pulse roughly chopped onion, roughly chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, and 1/2 cup (120ml) reserved beef stock until a thick coarse purée forms, 3 to 4 1-second pulses. Set aside.
In a wok or 10-inch skillet or sauté pan, heat palm oil over low heat until smoking and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add sliced onion, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add sliced tomatoes, ground crayfish, and iru (if using), and cook until tomatoes are softened but still holding their shape, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in fresh pepper, a 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until desired spice level is reached. Continue to cook, stirring often, until pepper has softened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add reserved vegetable purée, increase heat to high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 4 minutes. Stir in reserved beef, reduce heat to medium heat, partially cover, and cook, stirring often, until stew is slightly reduced and thickened and oil pools around the sides and on top, about 10 minutes.
Stir in chopped amaranth, cover, and cook until greens are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and dry pepper to taste. (If you prefer a looser stew, stir in reserved beef stock in 1/4 cup increments to reach desired consistency). Remove from heat and let stand to allow flavors to develop, about 10 minutes.
To serve, divide stew among warmed individual bowls or serve family-style in one large bowl. Serve with eba, fufu, Nigerian beef stew or obe ata, rice, and boiled yams, sweet potatoes, or plantains.
