Slow Beef, Fenugreek & Tomato Stew

Name: Slow Beef, Fenugreek & Tomato Stew
Total time: 210 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 700 g Beef chuck roast; 200 g Onion; 400 g Canned crushed tomatoes; 350 ml Low-sodium beef stock; 4 cloves Garlic; 20 g Fresh ginger; 2 tsp Berbere spice blend; 0.25 tsp Ground fenugreek; 1 tsp Paprika; 1.5 tbsp Neutral cooking oil; 250 g Long grain rice; 750 ml Water; 10 g Parsley; 0.5 tsp Salt

Fork-tender beef in a deep tomato-and-onion sauce, warmed with berbere and a restrained touch of fenugreek, served with rice.

210 minutes · Medium · 4 servings

Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested

Ingredients

Beef chuck roast700 g
Onion200 g
Canned crushed tomatoes400 g
Low-sodium beef stock350 ml
Garlic4 cloves
Fresh ginger20 g
Berbere spice blend2 tsp
Ground fenugreek0.25 tsp
Paprika1 tsp
Neutral cooking oil1.5 tbsp
Long grain rice250 g
Water750 ml
Parsley10 g
Salt0.5 tsp

Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.

Allergen notes

Check beef stock and berbere for celery, mustard, wheat and other allergens.

Method

Prepare and brown the beef

Peel and finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger. Trim large hard pieces of fat from the beef and cut into 3 cm cubes. Pat dry and season with the salt. Heat the oil in a heavy 24 cm casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in two batches for about 4 minutes each; transfer to a plate.

Make the sauce

Lower the heat to medium-low. Cook the onion in the same pan for 10–12 minutes, stirring, until softened and lightly golden. Add the garlic and ginger for 1 minute, then the berbere, fenugreek and paprika for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and stock, scraping the pan base. Return the beef and its juices.

Braise gently

Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat until the sauce only bubbles gently. Cook for 2–2.5 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the beef is easy to separate with a fork and at least 77°C (170°F) in the centre. If the sauce becomes dry before the beef is tender, add up to 150 ml of the measured water in small splashes. Older or firmer cuts may need longer; tenderness is the deciding test.

Cook the rice near the end

About 25 minutes before serving, rinse the rice and put it in a saucepan with the remaining 600 ml water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over the lowest heat for 15–18 minutes, until absorbed and tender. Rest off the heat, covered, for 5 minutes. Wash and chop the parsley.

Reduce and divide

When the beef is tender, uncover and simmer for 5–10 minutes if needed to obtain a spoon-coating sauce. Divide the rice and stew among four bowls and scatter the parsley over the stew.

Measure the fenugreek carefully: a little is aromatic, while too much can taste bitter. The long braise is included in the total time.

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