The Feast of Sacrifice

Russian Meat 

Cutlets:

The Russians have a penchant for using meat to their fill, in soups, in porridges and cereals and mixed heartily with vegetables too. With a very traditional culture, a typical Russian family would have seats designated to each family member at the dinner table and an entrée, followed by a main course, accompanied by drinks as part of the meal's usual course.  

Ingredients:

750gm ground chicken or qeema 

750gm ground beef or qeema 

3 potatoes

2 large red onions

7-8 garlic cloves

1 egg

2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped or

 2 tbsp mint leaves, chopped

3 fresh red chillis, finely chopped 

1 tbsp white pepper 

3 bay leaves, 

A pinch of nutmeg

Salt to taste

250gm bread crumbs 

½ tsp lemon zest 

3 tbsp olive oil

Method

Peel and dice the potatoes. Process all the ingredients --potatoes, onions, garlic cloves, chicken meat and beef meat-- in a grinder. Add seasonings, salt, white pepper, nutmeg, lightly beaten egg, fresh dill herbs and chopped red chilli to the mixture and combine well. Form small patties of the mixed ingredients. Take a medium bowl of bread crumbs and coat the cutlets in the bread crumbs or flour.

Heat some oil in a large pan, and fry the cutlets in it until golden brown. Repeat the procedure with the remaining cutlets.

Take a large saucepan that will accommodate all the cutlets. Place them into this saucepan and add 1 cup of water and bay leaves. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes.

Portuguese Pot Roast

The Portuguese travelled far and colonised many lands like Brazil and even a part of India-- Goa. They famously made a long and often notorious stay in Bangladesh also. Today we look at one pot roast recipe of the Portuguese, done rather differently. 

Ingredients:

For roast-

2 kg meat, rump part or rear of the leg

½ cup flour

2 tbsp olive oil

For gravy-

Thin soup of boiled and mashed potatoes, to be used instead of cornstarch

1 tbsp ghee or un-clarified organic butter

2 cups onion, diced 

1/4 cup all purpose flour 

Salt to taste 

Black pepper to taste

2 cups chicken stock  

3 tbsp apricot concentrate (take the brown dried apricots in the market, boil and mash into a pulp)

1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 

Method 

In a large pan, sauté the ghee and onions over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the onions are light brown. This should reach the stage of our local beresta. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and whisk it with an egg beater or fork. Add the salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken stock and apricot concentrate, and cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes more, until thickened. 

Marinade:

1 small onion, chopped 

2 cloves garlic, ground

¼ cup vinegar

1 tbsp mustard seed paste

1 tbsp brown sugar

Salt to taste 

Pepper to taste

Method

In a bowl, mix together the onion, garlic, vinegar, sugar, mustard paste, pepper and salt. Pour over the roast and let marinade overnight in refrigerator. Remove roast from marinade and keep the marinade aside for later. Pat dry the roast and coat it in flour and brown the pieces in a pan with heated oil. Pour half of the marinade over roast and simmer until tender. Add remaining marinade, a little at a time, throughout cooking to keep meat tender. Remove roast from pot and set aside. Combine the potato soup or cornstarch alternative with 1 cup water, and add this to the gravy. Stir continuously until thickened.

Slice the rump roast and serve with gravy poured on top of it. You may have a bed of sautéed peas and carrots or some fragrant rice with it. 

Slow Cooker Jamaican Beef Stew

This dish from Jamaica is in honour of the great Usain Bolt. Jamaican cuisine is an amalgamation of cuisines of the different people that comprise the Caribbean, the influences range from Indian, Chinese, African, Spanish to the British, and many more! 

Ingredients

1 kg beef, cut in small chunks

¼ cup olive oil

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp mix of dried red chili flakes, black pepper, roasted red chilli flakes and pinch of cinnamon

2 tsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

2 red onions, diced

1 bell pepper

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp fresh thyme, or 1 tbsp dried thyme 

2 cups water 

2-3 spring onions, diced

1 kg potatoes, cut in large chunks

2-3 large carrots cut in large chunks

2-3 tbsp parsley (or coriander)

1 cup chicken stock, mixed with 1 cup of boiled carrot and potato, added with 1 tbsp browned onion paste (beresta paste)

Salt to taste 

Pepper to taste

Method:

Season the stew beef with salt and pepper to thoroughly cover all sides. Brown the meat well over medium heat. Once the beef is well browned, transfer it to a larger pot where it can cook slowly. Add onions, green onions, garlic, thyme, all spice, bell pepper and bay leaf and stir for about 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent. Add tomato paste and broth, and then stir until thick. Now add the broth mix and combine it well. Bring to a boil and remove and pour into the slow cooker pot. Throw in carrots and potatoes in the slow cooker and add salt to taste. Cover and cook on high heat for about 3-4 hours, or on low heat for 6 -7 hours.

This stew can be served with bread as the dryness of the bread soaks up the liquid soupy texture of the stew.



Photo: LS Archive/Collected