Beef Stewed in Red Pepper Paste

Eritrea, how I underestimated you!

First, I underestimated the amount of work it would take to prepare this meal.  The ingredient list for the beef stew looked short, until I realized I had to make my own "spiced butter" and a new spice called "berbere".  I took on these tasks during Rose's nap and Henry's quiet time (aka, TV time).

I think I had almost every spice out of the cupboard for this one!  I melted butter in a saucepan and then added a cinnamon stick, clove, cardamom, turmeric and nutmeg.  I also included chopped onion, garlic and fresh ginger.  The butter boiled for 45 minutes, and then I strained it to remove the solids and popped it in the fridge to harden.

Berbere is a spice that derives from Ethiopia.  I found dozens of variations, but finally settled on one that I already had most of the ingredients for.  The base of the spice was cayenne pepper and paprika, but also included cumin, coriander, cardamom, turmeric, nutmeg, allspice, clove, cinnamon, and finally ginger.  I now have extra berbere, and hope I am able to use it when I cook a meal from Ethiopia.

While the kids ate their decidedly NON-ethnic meal of chicken nuggets and carrot sticks, I got the beef stew going on the stove top.  I sauteed onions until soft, then added the spiced butter and garlic.  The next step was to add a number of spices, including the berbere.  I added red wine and tomato sauce before tossing the cubed beef into the pot.  Everything simmered for over an hour, and made the house smell heavenly.  Or at least I thought so.  Henry declared the odor "stinky" and refused to come downstairs after dinnertime.  Sorry Henry!

Then came my favorite time of the day.  The kids were tucked away in bed and Ted and I sat cross-legged on the family room floor, enjoyed our dinner and a glass of wine, and debriefed on our day apart.

And here is where I underestimated the taste.  Beef Stewed in Red Pepper Paste was delicious!   The meat was tender and the flavor was fantastic, with just the right amount of spice.  I served it with white rice, but it would have been better scooped up with pieces of nan bread.  And that way I could have hand-fed Ted, as the Eritreans do!

3.25 is the score for Eritrea.