Ethiopian Beef Stew

Recipe Author: Melissa Joulwan, WellFed | Photo by Steph Gaudreau

Trying new recipes of international cuisine is such a delicious and exciting new adventure. We are excited to share Melissa Joulwan’s Ethiopian Beef Stew Recipe with you. A special thank you to Melissa for sharing some background on Ethiopian cuisine and this yummy recipe for us to try. 

There is so much to love about Ethiopian cuisine: Eating with your hands! Hearty stews and butter-infused vegetables! Spicy-hot, bright red berbere seasoning! Bread that doubles as a plate! And gursha, an intimate sign of friendship and hospitality.

At a traditional Ethiopian meal, vegetable and meat dishes are served family style, often on an extra-large circle of injera, the spongy, flexible flatbread made from fermented teff flour. (Teff is an ancient, gluten-free grain that’s indigenous to the area.) There’s always a basket of additional injera, so no forks or spoons are needed. Instead, diners tear off a piece of injera with their right hand—always the right hand—and use it to scoop up bites of the main dish before popping it into their mouths. Tear, scoop, eat, repeat. It’s communal, friendly, and relaxed.

The most popular and common dish is wat: meat and vegetable stews, similar to curries. Doro wat (chicken) and key wat (beef) are the ones most frequently found on restaurant menus and family tables, but wat can also be made with lamb (beg wat), chickpeas (shiro wat), or lentils (misir wat). It’s always seasoned with berbere and served with injera, and the richness of the stew is often contrasted with fresh vegetables like gomen (stewed greens).

For this paleo-friendly Ethiopian-style feast, we’ve selected key wat and gomen, but have replaced the traditional injera with cauliflower rice. Homemade berbere seasoning allows you to control the level of heat, but you can replace the spices in key wat with store-bought berbere, if you prefer. Serve both dishes family style, and feel free to share a little gursha with your favorite people.

For more background on Ethiopian cuisine from Melissa, see her original post HERE.

 

Ethiopian Beef Stew And Collard Greens

Recipe By: Melissa Joulwan, WellFed

Paleo and Whole30 Friendly

Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 90 Minutes

US Wellness Meats Shopping List: Beef Chuck Roast, Ghee, Chicken Bone Broth, Or Beef Bone Broth

Ingredients

Berbere Seasoning

• 2 tablespoons paprika

• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon ginger powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

NOTE: You can adjust the amount of cayenne to control the heat of your berbere seasoning. If blazing hot isn’t your thing, reduce the cayenne to 1 teaspoon.

Beef Stew

• 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

• 2 tablespoons ghee or extra virgin olive oil

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 small onion, finely diced

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

• 1-2 tablespoons berbere seasoning

• 1/4 cup tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar (omit for Whole30)

• 4 cups beef or chicken bone broth (or a combo)

Directions