Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
1,000 Jewish Recipes (214 page)
1 bay leaf
3 fresh parsley stems plus 1 tablespoon chopped leaves
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
Four 14
1
â
2
-ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained
About 2 to 2
1
â
2
cups water
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 ounces pearl onions
8 ounces medium mushrooms, quartered
1.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 4- to 5-quart stew pan or Dutch oven. Add beef in batches and brown cubes over medium-high heat on all sides. Transfer cubes to a plate as they brown.
2.
Add chopped onion to stew pan and cook over low heat, stirring often, about 7 minutes or until softened. Meanwhile wrap garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and parsley stems in a piece of cheesecloth and tie ends to form a seasoning bag. Return meat to pan, reserving any juices on plate, and sprinkle meat with flour. Toss lightly to coat meat with flour. Cook over low heat, stirring, 5 minutes.
3.
Pour juices from plate over beef. Stir in tomatoes and 2 cups water, or enough to just cover beef. Add cheesecloth bag, salt, and pepper and bring to boil, stirring often. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and adding more water if pan becomes dry, about 3
1
â
2
hours or until beef is tender when pierced with tip of a sharp knife. Discard cheesecloth bag.
4.
Meanwhile, add pearl onions to medium saucepan of boiling water and boil 1 minute. Drain, rinse with cold water, and peel with aid of a paring knife. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add pearl onions and sauté, shaking pan occasionally, about 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove with slotted spoon. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper and sauté until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
5.
Add onions and mushrooms to stew and simmer about 25 minutes or until onions are tender. If sauce is too thick, stir in a few tablespoons water. If sauce is too thin, carefully remove beef and vegetables using slotted spoon; boil sauce, uncovered, stirring often, until lightly thickened, and then return beef and vegetables to stew pan. Adjust seasoning. Stir in parsley leaves. Serve stew from stew pan or deep serving dish.
Hints on Braising and Stewing
⢠Use a heavy pan for even heating during browning and simmering. An enameled cast iron casserole dish is best and is often attractive enough to bring to the table, but a stainless steel stew pan or Dutch oven is also suitable. The pan should have a tight-fitting lid so the liquid does not evaporate too quickly.
⢠Pat the meat dry before browning. Avoid crowding the pan, or the meat will steam instead of browning.
⢠When browning the meat, do not stir it continuously as this would inhibit browning.
⢠Prevent splatters when browning meat by covering the pan with a frying screen.
⢠Check on the amount of liquid from time to time. If the pan is becoming dry but the meat is not tender, add a little more liquid.
Jews from North Africa often add chickpeas to their meat stews. In this one the chickpeas gain a wonderful flavor from the beef that simmers in a zesty tomato sauce with garlic and hot peppers. Serve the stew with green beans, cauliflower, or zucchini, or simply accompany it with pita bread and begin the meal with a salad of mixed greens, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
3
â
4
cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and sorted, or one 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
3 cups cold water
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 pounds boneless lean beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1
1
â
4
- to 1
1
â
2
-inch pieces and patted dry
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
Four 14
1
â
2
-ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained
2 to 2
1
â
2
cups water
1 or 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, seeds and ribs discarded, minced (see Note)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1.
Put dried chickpeas, if using, in a bowl with enough cold water to cover and soak in cool place 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse. Put chickpeas in medium saucepan and add 3 cups fresh water. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer over low heat about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tender.
2.
Heat oil in a stew pan or Dutch oven. Add beef in batches and brown cubes over medium-high heat on all sides. Transfer cubes to a plate as they brown. Add onion to pan and cook over low heat, stirring often, about 7 minutes or until softened. Return meat to pan, reserving any juices on plate, and sprinkle meat with flour. Toss lightly to coat meat with flour. Cook over low heat, stirring, 5 minutes.
3.
Pour juices from plate over beef. Stir in tomatoes and enough water to just cover beef. Add jalapeño pepper, salt, black pepper, and garlic and bring to boil, stirring often. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, 1 hour. Stir in tomato paste. If pan appears dry or sauce is too thick, stir in more water. Drain cooked chickpeas and add to stew. If using canned chickpeas, add them now. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 30 to 45 minutes or until beef is tender when pierced with sharp knife. Adjust seasoning. Serve stew from stew pan or deep serving dish.
Note:
Wear rubber gloves when handling hot peppers.
This specialty of Provence in southern France is perfect for Shabbat. The long, slow cooking in red wine makes the beef wonderfully tender; the dish even improves from being made ahead. For greater depth of flavor, the beef is first marinated in the wine. The beef can either be cooked over low heat or baked at 325°F. Serve it spooned over a bed of noodles, which happens to be the favorite French way to serve this aromatic stew. It's also good with rice.
3 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1
1
â
2
-inch pieces
2 cups dry red wine
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 sprigs fresh thyme or
1
â
2
teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
2 bay leaves
Two 3-inch strips of orange rind
2 whole cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 large cloves garlic, chopped
One 14
1
â
2
-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1
â
2
cup water
3
â
4
pound boiling onions
1
1
â
4
pounds carrots, cut into 1-inch slices
Pinch of sugar (optional)
1.
Combine beef with wine, sliced onion, thyme, and bay leaves in a large ceramic or glass bowl. Cover and let it marinate in refrigerator 4 hours or overnight.
2.
Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves from marinade and place them on a piece of cheesecloth. Add orange rind strips and cloves to cheesecloth and tie ends to form a seasoning bag. Set beef cubes and onions on paper towels to dry. Reserve marinade.
3.
Heat oil in 4- to 5-quart stew pan or Dutch oven. Add beef in batches and brown cubes over medium-high heat on all sides. Transfer cubes to a plate as they brown.
4.
Add sliced onion to stew pan and cook it over low heat, stirring, 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil, stirring. Return beef to stew pan with any juices that have accumulated on plate. Add salt, pepper, season- ing bag, marinade, and water. Bring to a boil, stir- ring. Cover and simmer over low heat 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
5.
Add boiling onions to medium saucepan of boiling water and boil 1 minute. Drain, rinse with cold water, and peel with aid of a paring knife.
6.
After beef has cooked 1 hour, add carrots and onions. Cover and simmer 4 to 4
1
â
2
hours until ingredients are very tender and sauce is well flavored. Discard seasoning bag. Adjust seasoning; add a pinch of sugar, if using. Serve daube from stew pan or deep serving dish.
Jews from Libya are known for their hot, spicy dishes. This stew is flavored in that tradition. I like it with plenty of rice.
Traditionally, the green beans cook directly in the stew for at least 30 minutes so they become very tender and absorb flavor from the sauce. I prefer beans that are bright green so I cook them separately, then heat them 2 or 3 minutes in the sauce.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, halved and sliced thin
2 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1-inch pieces, and patted dry
4 jalapeño or serrano peppers, seeds and ribs discarded, chopped (see Note)
6 cloves garlic, chopped
4 ripe tomatoes, diced, or one 14
1
â
2
-ounce can diced tomatoes with their juice
1
â
2
teaspoon ground cumin
1
â
2
teaspoon ground turmeric
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup water
1
1
â
2
to 2 pounds green beans, ends removed, halved
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
1.
Heat oil in large stew pan or Dutch oven, add onions, and sauté about 7 minutes over medium-low heat. Add beef and sauté about 7 minutes, stirring often. Add hot peppers, garlic, tomatoes, cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper, and the water. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 2 hours or until beef is tender, adding a few tablespoons water from time to time if needed.
2.
Meanwhile, cook beans in boiling salted water about 7 minutes or until tender. Rinse with cold water.
3.
When beef is tender, add tomato paste to stew. Add beans and heat gently 3 to 5 minutes to blend flavors. Add cayenne, if using. Season with salt and plenty of pepper. Serve from stew pan or deep serving dish.
Note:
Wear rubber gloves when handling hot peppers.