Basaliyya By al-Mu’tamid: Cheek Meat with Onions and Pumpkin

Translation:

Take chunks of meat from ribs and thighs and slice them into finger-like strips.  Soak the meat in cold water, as this will drain the blood and remove the dirt.  Hot water, on the other hand, will lock them in.

Take the meat out of the cold water and put it in a pot with a fresh batch of water along with a lot of pounded tallow.  You may add galangal and cassia.

Chop onion, the amount needed is to be equal to one third of the meat used. If gourd is in season, then go ahead and use it.  However, cut it like you did with the meat.  When the pot comes to a boil and the onion and gourd.

The amount of water you added first should not be much

Continue cooking the pot until the pot is dry.  Add murri (Liquid fermented sauce) and dry spices like black pepper, cassia, coriander, and cumin.  Add as well on ladleful of vinegar and a small amount of rue. (Annals of the Caliphs’ Kitchen pp. 317)

Ingredients:

1 lb. meat

3 C. Pumpkin

½ lg onion

1 tsp galangal, black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, coriander

½ vinegar

Redaction:

Cut your beef into small pieces.  Rinse the beef in cold water, put into a pot with ground galangal and cinnamon.

I used half a large onion cut thin(ish).  I used a Cinderella pumpkin for the gourd, cutting the peeled chunks into small pieces. 

I cut smaller than finger length as I don’t want to chew large bits of pumpkin.  Add

When the pot boils add pumpkin and onions.  When the meat is cooked to tenderize add the cumin, coriander, and vinegar. Originally, I forgot this part and ate the thick stew/porridge without. 

It’s amazing!  Next pass through the kitchen I added the missing, cumin, coriander, and vinegar.  Even better! 

On its own, it’s very good.  I had it over riced for a touch more filling dish. 

The cheek meat is either very tender or a touch chewy from the marbling on the inside.