Skip to main content

Tas Kebab - Turkish Beef Stew

One of our "standards" is a beef and rice dish called Tas Kebab.  I've been asked for the recipe many times.   This is comfort food that anyone can love.   Its great right out of the oven, but its also good reheated the next day (on a hotplate for Shabbat Lunch!).  There are no liquids, so its good for anyone who reheats.

1 Kg beef, cut into bite size pieces
Oil for frying
1 to 2 large onions, chopped
3 red bell peppers, chopped
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup water or bullion
1 cup rice
chopped parsley (optional)

The quantities can be adjusted.  Sometimes I make it with 3 onions and no peppers, or with one onion and three peppers.   A lot depends on how coarsely you chop the onions.  The intention is to make them visible and not just a seasoning.

In a large covered pot, add the oil and saute the onions and peppers until they are soft.  Add the tomatoes and spices.  Since you are using canned crushed tomatoes, the liquid from the tomatoes is sufficient.  If you used fresh tomatoes, you would need to add about 1/2 cup of stock.

Add the beef and simmer covered for about an hour, until the beef is tender.  If the pot looks dry, add a cup of stock or water.  Add the rice and optional parsley and cover again until the rice absorbs all the liquid.  It usually takes about 30 minutes.  A good trick if you are using an oven capable pot is just to put the pot in the oven at 350 instead of leaving it on the stove top.  This reduces the chances that the dish will burn.

Serve warm.

Comments

Anonymous said…
That looks good!

Popular posts from this blog

A change of pace (Kidney Failure)

I have been trying to keep this blog focused on hospitality and food.  God though has other plans for his creations and I find now that I will have to expand the scope to cover new topics.  I'll try to continue blogging about my menus and our guests, but expect more posts that have little or nothing to do with food. In February of this year, My second oldest son, Asaf was diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure. Simply put, both his kidneys are damaged and scarred from some infection or defect that happened years ago.  They will likely cease to function sometime within the next six months. The good news is that there is no immediate danger to his life.  Kidney Dialysis is a viable option and can maintain his health for up to ten or more years if necessary.  Unfortunately, the process is not easy and there are potential side effects. Given Asaf's generally excellent health and age, Kidney Dialysis is considered only a stop-gap measure and not a long term solution. The best solutio...

Family, Friends and Guests

Another week, and this Shabbat is going to be busy.  We have four guests from NCSY who are in Israel for a summer program.  They will be eating dinner with us, but eating lunch with the rest of their group.  My sister and her family are coming over from Alon Shvut.  Her husband works with groups from the states during the summers and is almost never home for summer Shabbatot.  To top it off, we have a few friends who are temporarily alone. Their wife or husband is away for Shabbat.  They will add some flavor to tomorrow's lunch. Menus are pretty simple this week.  All stuff I've made before.  I'm in a bit of a rut, partially because the vegetables this year are less plentiful than last year.  Its a shmita year and even though we hold heter mechira, there is just less good produce.  Partially, its because I need some ideas.  I havn't read a new cookbook in while.  I'll try and review some old ones this weekend.  I've talked to professional chef's who go throu...

Post Wedding!

What a feeling!  Married off my son and gained a daughter.   The wedding was very special.  As befits our family, it went off according to schedule, even finishing 15 minutes early.  Yet, no-one felt that it was too short or that something was missing.  The dancing was perfect and the shtick funny and smooth.  All in all, a good evening was had by all. The young couple are like cats that have just eaten the bird.  They walk around with a big grin.  No worries.  What a wonderful time to be young, in love and married!  May they have many such years together in happiness and health. The weekend after the wedding it is traditional for the families to have meals together.  The mother's of the couple have arranged to serve meals at the local synagogue.  Of course, both families are making parts of the meals.  Like the marriage, this weekend is a partnership. My father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law and two brother's...