Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless lamb shoulder, leg of lamb or beef chuck
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- boiling water
- 2 yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 cups sushi rice or Spanish bomba rice
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 10 oz cooked, peeled chestnuts
- 4 oz dried apricots (about 12–14 apricots; optional)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 3 marrow bones (optional)
- 1 lb yellow potatoes, peeled and cut to 1-inch chunks
Instructions
- Pat dry meat using paper towels. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a saucepan and sear meat on all sides for about 8 minutes total. Cover with boiling water up to 1 inch over the meat, bring to a boil, and skim foam. Reduce heat to low, cover the saucepan and cook until tender (3 hours for lamb, 1½ hours for beef).
- When meat is done, measure 3 cups of the cooking liquid and set aside.
- Put the remaining 2 Tbsp oil in a 4 quart or larger heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion and cook until lightly golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice and tomato paste, mix and cook for 1 minute while stirring. Add 3 cups of the meat cooking liquid, the chestnuts, apricots, cinnamon, 2 tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp black pepper, and mix.
- Arrange the cooked meat, marrow bones and potatoes over the rice mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 1-1½ hours, until potatoes are tender, rice is ready and there’s a crispy layer of rice at the bottom of the pot.
- Remove the lid and cover the pot with a double layer of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Place the lid back on and let stand for 20 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours-4 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stew
- Cuisine: Sephardic