Dish of Georgian Beef Stew
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Georgian Beef Stew


R. Georgia   -   Khalia
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 6 main
***
3 hrs
Yes		 A slightly tart, deliciously spiced beef stew, and easy to make too. Reportedly popular all over the former Soviet Union, Georgian restaurants serve it sizzling on hot cast iron skillets.

3
1-1/2
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1-1/2
1-1/2
1/4
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1-1/2
1/2
1
1/4
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6
1/2
1
1/4
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1/3
1/3
tt
#
#
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oz
c
c
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t
t
t
t
---
cl
c
t
t
---
c
c


Beef, lean (1)
Onions
-- Stock
Sour Plums, dry (2)
Stock (beef)
Tomato Paste
-- Spices
Coriander seed
Fenugreek seed
Paprika (3)
Chili Powder (4)
-- Seasoning
Garlic
Walnut pieces
Salt
Pepper, black
--------
Cilantro
Olive Oil
Tarragon, fresh
PREP   -   (1-1/4 hr   (25 min work))
  1. Cut BEEF into small cubes, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch on a side. Remove all excess fat. Put in water to cover, bring to a boil, drain and rinse to remove all scum. This will also prevent the beef from exuding water while you're trying to fry it.
  2. Chop ONIONS fine.
  3. Soak SOUR PLUMS for an hour, chop fine - or use one of the substitutes listed in Note-2. Purée along with Stock and Tomato Paste.
  4. Grind together all Spices items.
  5. Crush GARLIC and chop fine.
  6. Check WALNUTS to make sure they're fresh (no rancidity) and grind them fine - a mini-prep processor works well. Mix with Garlic, Salt and Pepper.
  7. Chop CILANTRO small.
RUN   -   (1-3/4 hr)
  1. In a spacious sauté pan or large sauce pan, heat olive oil. Stir in Beef and Onions and fry stirring until onions are translucent but not browned.
  2. Stir in Stock mix and Spice mix. Cover and simmer slowly for about 1-1/2 hours until beef is tender. Check now and then to make sure it doesn't dry out. Add stock if needed. This stew should be quite wet but the liquid should not be thin.
  3. Stir in Seasoning mix. Adjust liquid if needed (it should not be too thin).
  4. Stir in Cilantro and season cautiously with Tarragon. How much will depend on your taste and whether it's Russian (probably) or French. It should be just noticeable, not overpowering.
  5. Leftovers? Add just a little tomato sauce, mush it a little and use it as pasta sauce. Unforgettably delicious with linguini!
NOTES:

  1. Beef:

      Wight is boneless and with all excess fat removed. One of the tougher stewing cuts or roasts will be fine.

  2. Sour Plums:

      Dried sour plums are sometimes available in Southern California in markets serving Russian, Caucasian and Persian communities. If available they should be soaked for an hour and puréed. A substitute is Tkemali, a Georgian sauce made from sour plums. Use 3 T and leave out 2 of the garlic cloves. Lacking that, do as Georgians in North America do and use easily available Tamarind Paste. Block form gives the best flavor, and 1-1/2 ounces cut from a block is about right for this recipe. For details and method, see our Tamarind page.

  3. Paprika

      Use real Hungarian Sweet Paprika, not that sawdust flavored stuff they sell in the supermarkets. Hungarian has much better flavor and a more intense red color.
  4. Chili Powder   The pattern recipe calls for 1/8 t Cayenne, but I prefer Indian Reshampatti, which is not quite as hot but has better flavor. For details see our Chili Powders / Flake page.
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
tmm_cowstew1 071215 pttt153   -   www.clovegarden.com
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