My friend, Karen requested the recipe for the stew I made yesterday. I adapted the recipe from Eating Well magazine so it is Ethiopian-ish. They used chicken thighs (2 1/2 pounds), no cabbage, and cooked it in a crock pot (7-8 hours on low) after cooking the onions, garlic, and ginger on the stove top. They did not brown the meat but I think it would be better that way. I cooked mine in a 5 quart braising pot, an Emile Henry porcelain pot I bought myself with Christmas money. A Crueset enameled iron pot or Dutch oven would also be fine. I also used beef instead of chicken thighs because I don’t like chicken thighs and white meat would dry out. I think it would be excellent with lamb.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter + 2 teaspoons oil
2 pounds boneless chuck roast, cut into stew sized pieces
4 cups chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed
5 tablespoons berbere spice (I don’t know if it is the best, but I use this one. I just use the whole packet.)
1 1/2 cups red lentils
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger (If you have one of those Asian rasp style graters, that works well.)
1 head cabbage, cut into large chunks
28 ounce can of diced or crushed tomatoes with their juice
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cups water, chicken, or beef broth

1. Heat butter and oil in the braising pot over medium heat (I use less than the recipe calls for to cook the onions and reserve a little for later to sear the meat). Cook onions until soft, translucent, and starting to brown, 10-20 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook about 2 minutes until fragrant. Add berbere spices and cook another few minutes until fragrant. Remove onion mixture from pot and set aside.
2. Raise heat to medium high, add a little oil, and brown beef in 1-3 batches. When completed pour in 1/2 cup wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan by stirring up the delicious burned bits from the bottom.
3. Remove pot from heat. Add onions and beef into the pot. Then add the rest of the ingredients in the following order, lentils, cabbage, tomatoes with juice, and water/broth.
4. Cover and cook in oven at 325 degrees for 2 1/2-3 hours. Stir before serving and season to taste.