Beef stew with an Arabic touch

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 2 kg roast beef, for braising
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tsp spice mix (Baharat)
• 1 tsp spice mix (Berbere)
• Sea salt
• Cinnamon
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 2 can tomatoes, chunky, from the can
• ¼ liter currant juice
• ¼ liter red wine
• ½ liter vegetable broth or beef broth
• 5 onions, cut into wedges or slices
• 4 carrots, roughly diced or sliced
• 1 large parsley root(s), diced
• ¼ celeriac, diced
• 4 bell peppers, different colors
• 2 tsp paprika powder, spicy, smoked
• 250 g mushrooms
• possibly chili powder or Pulbiber
• possibly celery, some sticks

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 5 hours; Total time approx. 5 hours 30 minutes

for guests, well prepared

Cut the meat into larger pieces, approximately 5 x 5 cm, and preheat the oven to 150°C. Layer all the ingredients in a roasting pan: first a layer of onions, then the quartered mushrooms, then the meat. If you want a slightly thicker sauce, you can also lightly flour the meat. Sprinkle the spices and thyme, a few slices of garlic, pepper, and a little paprika over the meat, and season lightly with salt. Then arrange the diced vegetables, the larger-chopped bell peppers, and a few slices of garlic on top. If desired, you can also slice a few celery stalks and add them—depending on your taste. Top with either fresh peeled and diced tomatoes or canned tomatoes. Pour in the currant juice, wine, and 1/2 liter of vegetable stock. Cover the roasting pan with the lid and, if necessary, a double layer of aluminum foil, and place it in the oven for about 5 hours. You can also reduce the temperature to 90°C and cook the pot overnight for about 9-10 hours. If you prefer the peppers to be firmer, you can add them halfway through the cooking time. I also prepared the pot, refrigerated it overnight, and then put it in the oven the next morning and simmered it at 90°C for about 9 hours. That evening, we had a wonderfully aromatic casserole with wonderfully tender meat that melted in your mouth. It’s served with plain white bread, but you can also serve it with rice.