RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Karen Selwyn Lamb, Iraqi Braised w/Beets & Tomatoes: Hamad - meat
This family recipe from Shoshanna Sofaer is traditionally served on Rosh Hashanah. Ms. Sofaer notes that carrots, turnips, zucchini, and parsnips are often added to the dish. 3 1/2 - 4 lbs. shoulder of lamb, diced in one-inch cubes 1 (28 ounce) can plum tomatoes, drained and diced, juice reserved 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon turmeric 2 teaspoons honey 2 lbs. beets juice of 1/2 lemon In a heavy saucepan, mix together the lamb with the tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Cook on a high flame, stirring until the meat is brown. Add the garlic, turmeric, and honey to the saucepan. Reduce the temperature and simmer the stew, covered, for 2 hours. Check the stew periodically and, if the mixture begins to dry out, add some of the reserved liquid from the canned tomatoes. As soon as the stew begins its simmer, prepare the beets by wrapping each beet in a piece of foil, sealing tight. Place all the beet packages on a foil-lined baking dish. Bake for 1 - 1 1/4 hours. Leave the beet packages on the baking dish, but carefully pull open a corner of the foil package to let the steam escape. Let the beet packages sit in this manner for 5-10 minutes. Carefully open the foil package more fully. Let the beet packages sit in this manner for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the beets can be handled comfortably. Slide your fingers over the surface of the beets and the skin of the beets will peel off easily. Dice the beets. Add the diced beets to the stew and simmer, covered, an additional 20 minutes. Just before serving, add the lemon juice and adjust the seasonings to taste. The word "Hamad" means sweet and sour, so you may wish to use more lemon juice and honey in addition to salt and pepper. Serve over rice. Source: JEWISH COOKING IN AMERICA Joan Nathan
