Root Vegetable and Medjool Date Stew

Amarante

Fri, Sep 27 2019, 9:59 am

I love a good beef stew and had been saving this recipe until it was officially "Autumn".

The cookbook was released last month and is an interesting collection of modern Israeli recipes from an Israeli based food writer.

Like any stew or braised meat, it is better the nice day. I used to think it was my imagination until I read an article on cooking science and it is an actually way the ingredients marry together when they are cooled and reheated the next day. Plus with any beef it is so much easier to remove excess fat that solidifies on the top.

Root Vegetable and Medjool Date Stew

Excerpt From: Adeena Sussman. “Sababa.” Apple Books.

The Medjool dates in this wintery stew soak up the sauce but still hold their shape during cooking. I use white wine instead of red. It helps prevent the lighter-colored root vegetables from getting too dark (though if you use beets, you’ll have a pinkish—but no less delicious—stew), and I love the way its flavor melds with the chopped preserved lemon I stir in toward the end.

Serves 6 to 8
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours

2½ pounds beef stew meat, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, cut into chunks
5 whole garlic cloves
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup dry white wine
3½ cups beef or chicken broth
2 thyme sprigs
½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 pounds root vegetables (celery root, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, beets), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
8 small or 6 medium Medjool dates, pitted but left whole
1 tablespoon chopped Preserved Lemon (or store-bought) or finely chopped fresh lemon

Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a resealable plastic bag, add the meat, and shake to coat. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the meat until seared on all sides, 8 minutes total. Remove the meat to a plate. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste and paprika and cook, stirring, until slightly caramelized, 2 minutes. Add the wine and 2 teaspoons salt, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the wine is mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the meat to the pot along with 2½ cups of the broth, the thyme, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook until the meat begins to become tender, 1 hour. Add the root vegetables and dates with the remaining broth, return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 1 hour more.

Stir in the preserved lemon 5 minutes before serving.