With temperatures dropping, we find ourselves craving cozy sweaters, the warm embrace of a wood-burning fireplace and, most importantly, the comfort of hearty winter stews. Yes, my friends, stew season is officially here!
If you’re looking for the ultimate stew, then you must try t’becha. This traditional Libyan Jewish stew quite literally means “cooked” in Arabic. I’ve eaten this magical stew since I was six months old — it’s one of the first solid foods my mom fed me. My week does not feel complete without a large pot of t’becha simmering on the stove and perfuming the house with its addictive, rich and comforting aroma on Fridays before Shabbat.
T’becha is traditionally served for Shabbat dinners and the Jewish holidays. During Passover, my family substitutes some of the beef for lamb. Lamb serves as a representation of the mitzvah of the Korban Pesach, or sacrificial lamb, and many Sephardic Jews have the custom of eating lamb during Passover. Some Ashkenazi Jews have the opposite custom of not eating lamb during seder and only representing the Korban Pesach with the symbolic lamb shank presented on the seder plate.
When I was growing up, my three siblings and I would literally fight over who got to be the first one to serve ourselves t’becha — yes it’s really that good! As the oldest sibling, I always got first dibs (except on their birthdays, when they had the once-a-year honor of being served first). Being first meant finding the best marrow bone (the one with the most marrow meat inside) and getting to the pot before everyone else made chop suey of it.
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There are countless versions of t’bechot, but all are generally savory, spicy and packed with flavor, and often include meat, potatoes and legumes. Seasonings for t’becha can vary but often include a star ingredient, baharat, a savory and fragrant Middle Eastern spice blend. Baharat blends do vary from region to region, but always include earthy spices such as cumin, coriander, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, paprika and cinnamon.
I’m excited to share the recipe for my favorite version of t’becha, which is tomato-based with flanken-style short-ribs, peas, string beans and potatoes. The short ribs are melt-in-your-mouth tender and seriously addictive.
As with most Libyan foods, make sure to enjoy with fresh couscous for the most authentic experience.
Notes:
- You need prime-grade/well-marbled pieces of meat. I ask my butcher to cut it into 1½-inch-thick cubes. You can also sub out some of the beef for lamb stew meat.
- If you do not have baharat you can easily find a recipe online to create your own spice blend or, in a pinch can substitute ras al hanout. This will alter the taste profile but will still be delicious.
This article was produced as part of The Nosher’s Jewish Food Fellows Program, which aims to diversify the voices telling Jewish food stories in media spaces.
T’becha Afuna
A stew so good you’ll be fighting over the first bite.
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients
- 4–5 pounds bone-in flanken stew meat, at room temperature
- neutral oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 sweet potatoes, uniformly sized and shaped, peeled and cut into roughly 2-inch slices
- 3–4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, halved and sliced into roughly 2½-inch slices
- frozen peas (13 oz bag), defrosted
- fresh string beans (as many as you like)
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp baharat + a generous pinch
- 2 Tbsp spicy paprika
- 2 Tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 Tbsp chicken consomme powder (optional)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ground black pepper
- 6–8 marrow bones rounds (optional)
- 6½ cups water, divided
Instructions
- Pat room-temperature beef dry and salt on all sides.
- Heat a large stock pot or Dutch oven and, working in batches, as needed, add a neutral oil and brown meat well on all sides (about 3 minutes per side). Transfer the beef to a plate.
- Add the onion to the pot and sauté until soft and translucent (about 3 minutes). Add ½ tsp kosher salt.
- Return beef to the pot in a uniform layer, and add just enough water to completely cover your meat (about 5 cups). Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, uncovered for 40 minutes.
- While the meat is simmering, prepare your sauce mixture. In a mixing bowl, add a can of tomato paste, baharat, spicy paprika, sweet paprika, 1½ Tbsp salt, cinnamon and chicken consommé. Mix the spice mixture with 1½ cups water to create a watery paste. Add the sauce into the pot. Let it cook for about 10 minutes.
- Add potatoes, sweet potatoes, marrow bones (optional) and the peas. There should be enough liquid in the stew to almost cover all the ingredients, but it’s ok if the tops of the potatoes are not fully covered.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer the stew for about 1 hour. I use the lid to half cover the pot.
- Add string beans to the top of the stew. Sprinkle a generous pinch of salt and baharat on top of the string beans and let the stew simmer for about another 1-1.5 hours.
- Serve over fresh couscous and enjoy!
Notes
- You need prime-grade/well-marbled pieces of meat. I ask my butcher to cut it into 1½-inch-thick cubes. You can also sub out some of the beef for lamb stew meat.
- If you do not have baharat you can easily find a recipe online to create your own spice blend or, in a pinch can substitute ras al hanout. This will alter the taste profile but will still be delicious!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Slow-Cooking
- Cuisine: Libyan
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