This hearty stew makes good use of fresh greens. Adapted from The New York Times.
- 2–3 pounds lean beef such as chuck, trimmed of obvious fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large onions, sliced thin
- 1 leek, well-rinsed, white and light green portions chopped separately
- 3 cups spinach leaves, well-rinsed and chopped
- 2 cups chopped fresh parsley
- ¾ cup chopped fresh dill
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon juice to taste (optional)
- Freshly cooked white rice for serving
- Heat about half of the oil in a Dutch oven or other stew pot. Add onions and sauté over very low heat until just slightly browned. Stir in beef along with about 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Cover and simmer very gently over low heat for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Add a small amount of water if necessary. Note: Once the onion has browned, you can finish cooking the meat in a slow cooker if you prefer.
While beef is cooking, heat remaining oil in a deep skillet or a wide saucepan and add the white parts of the leek.
- Sauté gently over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until leek has begun to soften. Add green part of leek and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Leek should be soft, but not brown. Add spinach and cook for 5 more minutes. Next add each of the herbs in turn, first parsley, then cilantro, then dill, cooking for about 5 minutes after each addition until mixture is reduced almost to a sauce, but is still very green. Set aside to cool.
- When meat is fully cooked, stir in the greens mixture and reheat for about 5 minutes to serving temperature, seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if needed, and adding lemon juice to taste. Serve spooned over hot rice.
Variation: Replace some or all of the spinach with chopped chard, kale, or collard greens. Replace some or all of the herbs with minced celery, including some of the tender leaves from the celery heart.
4–6 servings.
