Bowl of Lamb / Beef Vegie Stew
(click to enlarge)

Lamb / Beef & Vegie Stew


Central Asia - Uzbekistan   -   Zharkop
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 6 main
***
3-1/8 hrs
Yes		 This tasty stew apparently originated in Central Asia, possibly Uzbekistan, but it has been widely adopted, including in Russia. It is not difficult to make, and reheats well.




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Lamb / Beef (1)  
-- Vegies
Onions
Garlic
Mild Chili (2)
Carrots
Potatoes
-- Herbs
Cilantro
Parsley, flat
-- Spices
Coriander Seed
Cumin Seed
Cayenne
Black Pepper
Salt
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Oil
Tomato Sauce (3)
Beef Broth (4)
-- Garnish
Parsley
Prep   -   (50 min - exclusive of making Broth)
  1. Cut MEAT into about 3/4 inch cubes.
  2. Quarter ONIONS lengthwise and slice crosswise about 1/8 inch thick. Crush GARLIC and chop coarse. Mix.
  3. Blast MILD CHILIS black with your Propane Torch and brush off skins under running water (see Note-6). Cut into narrow strips about 1 inch long and mix with Onions.
  4. Peel CARROTS and cut into about 3/8 inch thick drums.
  5. Peel POTATOES and cut into about 3/4 inch cubes. Hold in cold water until needed.
  6. Chop HERBS small and mix. Chop extra Parsley for Garnish.
  7. Grind together all Spices items.
Run   -   (2-1/4 hr)
  1. In a spacious sauté pan (3-1/2 quart) or similar coverable vessel, heat Oil. Stir in Meat and fry stirring often over high heat until any exuded liquid has boiled off and meat is lightly browned all over. If fond adhering to the pan gets too dark, go to the next step immediately - chocolate is OK, black is not.
  2. Remove Meat with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  3. Adjust Oil. There should be no more than 2 Tablespoons left in the pan, but there should be a little more than 1 Tablespoon.
  4. Stir in Onions mix and fry stirring until Onions are translucent.
  5. Return Meat to the pan. Stir in Tomato Sauce and Spices mix, then stir in Beef Broth. Bring to a boil and simmer covered until the Meat is tender, about 1 hour.
  6. After about 45 minutes, stir in Carrots.
  7. When Meat is tender, stir in Potatoes. Correct liquid as needed. Bring back to a boil and simmer covered until Potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
  8. When ready to serve, stir in Herb Mix and simmer for about 2 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with chopped Parsley.
NOTES:

  1. Lamb / Beef:

      Weight is for boneless meat trimmed of all excess fat. All Zharkop recipes I've see call for Lamb, but I've seen a Tovuk (Chicken) Zharkop recipe, so I figure we have some latitude. In Central Asia, Lamb is low cost and plentiful, while beef is scarce and dear - but its the other way around in North America. Beef is also easier to prepare (less problems with fat).

  2. Mild Chili:

      The pattern recipe calls for "two Italian peppers". Presumably these are Cubanelles (Italian Frying Peppers). Those are not found here in Southern California, so we use Armenian / Turkish chilis (closer to Central Asia anyway), or similar non-hot Hungarians. Lacking any of those, I'd use 5 ounces of Green Anaheims, core, seeds and membranes removed. For details, see our Chilis page.

  3. Tomato Sauce:

      The pattern recipe calls for 1/4 cup of Tomato Paste. I prefer to add a convenient 8oz can of a very simple tomato sauce. My favorite is Faraon Spanish Style, but other simple sauces will also work.

  4. Beef Broth:

      If using Lamb, you could use Lamb Broth instead. For recipes of this sort, a day ahead I buy meat with fat and bones. I trim off the meat for the recipe and use the bones, membranes and fat to make the broth. This I strain, discarding the solids, and use my gravy separator to remove all the fat. For details see our recipe Soup Stock / Broth - General Method.

  5. Bread:

      I have two recipes calling for quarters of toasted Pita Bread (or similar) added to this soup, (but one is derived from the other, so it counts as one). I have seen no other recipe for, or photo of, Zharkop that includes bread, so I do not use it. That makes more sense for buffet service, and bread can be placed on the table.

  6. Comments:

      The pattern recipe did not call for skinning the chilis, but the cooking time for them is long. They dissolve into the sauce and leave annoying stiff skins floating in the stew. Blasting and brushing the skins takes only a few minutes, and the torch should be available in every kitchen.
  7. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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