Spicy Georgian Beef Stew / Chashushuli – Ostri

Weekends are actually the prime time when I do most of my cooking. That takes care of our dinners through the most of the following week. Than again, as I get inspired through the week I tend to make a few additionally goodies; strudels, coffee cakes, kisela pita or bread. For the last few weekends I have been focused on particular group of dishes. Determined to make the most I can while this never ending cold lasts I have been enjoying cooking ultimate comfort foods; Stews and pilafs.  There is nothing better to lift your spirits up in these last dying days of winter than these hearty dishes. I am always on a lookout for opportunity to explore and find something new and exciting, that I haven’t tried before. And the world is big and rich with abundance of traditional dishes that are just waiting to be discovered, prepared and enjoyed. A Romanian Stew, Russian Pilaf, Azerbaijan Pilaf and today Georgian Beef Stew just to name a few of these wonderful dishes I made lately.

In the visual art world that would have been qualified as: repetition with variation. All these dishes had a common theme, but then they were all very different too. It was lots of fun making all of them, a real adventure in the world of culinary joy. Why not? It is nearly impossible to find something like that anywhere outside of the area of their origin. The money can not buy it, and it is so rich,satisfying, and precious; It would be shame to ignore it.

Georgian Beef Stew I made last was incredibly tasty and spicy hot. Interestingly this dish deviates somewhat from few commonly known principles. Stews are known for use of inexpensive meat cuts and long cooking times at low heat. Cuts are normally chosen with plenty of gelatinous connective meat tissues and higher fat content since that is what gives the stews their moistness and juicy mouthfeel. However, Georgian stew is actually made with the most tender, most expensive and the most lean beef cut, a tenderloin. And no, the meat actually does not dry out. It remains soft, tender and juicy. I have to say that I substituted tenderloin with another tender cut: a sirloin, but the results were still marvelous.

In all reality the cost of meat should not be even a consideration, at least not in my view. The cost of 500g of Sirloin required for this dish is about the same as cost of 4 Big Mac meals or any other fast food chains standard menu meals. The cost is is the only comparable feature between these two options as far as I am concern. Everything else sets them worlds apart. I think it is pretty clear  what is my choice.

A stew it is essentially a meal in itself and it doesn’t require any fancy sides with it. Crusty rustic bread for sponging off the juices or mash potatoes is all you will need. Oh, and don’t forget a glass of good Georgian red wine.

The recipe has been adopted from chef Greg Easter.

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Spicy Georgian Beef Stew / Chashushuli - Ostri

Traditional Georgian spicy beef stew

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Georgian

Keyword

Beef Stew, Chashushuli - Ostri, Spicy Georgian Beef Stew

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

2.5 hrs

Passive Time

1-3 hrs

Servings

servings

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 400 g beef tenderloin cubed
• 100 g onion chopped in food processor
• 90 g Italian tomato purée (passata)
• 60 g Red bell pepper diced
• 20 g garlic cloves diced
• 100 ml water
• 1 tsp Khmeli Suneli Georgian spice blend
• 1 1/2 tbsp Adjika hot Georgian spice
• 3 tbsp fresh basil leaves chopped
• 3 tbsp cilantro leaves chopped
• 1-2 whole hot red chilies fresh
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil for browning

Spice mix

• 3/4 tsp black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp Coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt

Course Main Dish Cuisine Georgian Keyword Beef Stew, Chashushuli - Ostri, Spicy Georgian Beef Stew Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 2.5 hrs Passive Time 1-3 hrs Servings servings Ingredients Ingredients 400 g beef tenderloin cubed 100 g onion chopped in food processor 90 g Italian tomato purée (passata) 60 g Red bell pepper diced 20 g garlic cloves diced 100 ml water 1 tsp Khmeli Suneli Georgian spice blend 1 1/2 tbsp Adjika hot Georgian spice 3 tbsp fresh basil leaves chopped 3 tbsp cilantro leaves chopped 1-2 whole hot red chilies fresh 2 bay leaves 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil for browning Spice mix 3/4 tsp black peppercorns 1/2 tsp Coriander seeds 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp cayenne 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt

Instructions

Marinating

1. Before cubing the meat trim all sinew and tough connective tissues. Put the cubed meat in a medium size bowl.
2. Process spice mix in a spice grinder and add to the cubed meat.
3. Add Adjika spice and finely chopped onions to the meat. Combine it well together, cover and leave at room temperature for 1-3 hours.

   

Pressure Cooker

1. Over medium high heat (7.5 out of 10) add little vegetable oil to the hot pressure cooker pan. Cook marinated meat for 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally. The goal is just to take pink out of meat and not to dark brown it.

   
2. Add water to the pan and sprinkle Khmeli Suneli spice blend on top of meat. Do not stir!!
3. Put the lid on, and begin with pressure cooking. Cook over medium high heat (7 out of 10) until it comes up to pressure and then reduce heat to low (2 or 1.5 out of 10). You want to maintain the heat at the point where the steam is just barely escaping and the pressure is maintained. Keep it at this level for 45 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let it rest for another 30 minutes before opening.
5. Carefully remove meat with slotted spoon. Pour liquid off to a small bowl, set aside.

   

Final Cooking

1. Over medium high heat (7.5 out of 10) add little vegetable oil to non stick pan. Cook the meat in a single layer for about 5 minutes with very little stirring. The goal is just to get some browning on the meat.

   
2. Push the browned meat aside on the pan openning the space in the middle; Pour the tomato purée in the middle. Do not stir! Let it cook for 2-3 minutes or until water evaporates from purée and it starts to form spider web like pattern.
3. Add garlic and bell pepper, stir it all together and let cook for 2-3 more minutes.

   
4. Sprinkle cut basil on top and cook for another minute.
5. Pour in all the juices saved after pressure cooking, add cilantro; stir it all together.
6. Add 1-2 whole red chilies, bay leaves. Reduce heat to low (2 out of 10), put the lid on and cook on low simmer for one hour. Watch it carefully so it does not dry out! If it does' add some water and reduce the heat.
7. Remove the bay leaves and cook without lid for 5-10 minutes, until it starts thickening up. Taste and adjust salt level if necessary.

   
8. Serve warm with freshly cut white onions sprinkled over the top, rustic crusty bread or potato puree.

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