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Babylonian Lamb or Beef and Turnip Stew
The starting point for this dish comes from the translation of a recipe from the Yale Babylonian culinary tablets. To create a fragrant, full-flavored stew, we approximated and adjusted ingredients, and we turned to the oven for steady, constant simmering. Lamb is the traditional meat, and we opted to use lamb shanks, as the marrow gives the braising liquid body and richness; we shred the meat after cooking and discard the bones. We found the stew was just as delicious made with bone-in beef shanks (1 to 1½ inches thick). The culinary tablets reveal that beer was used as a cooking liquid in Mesopotamia, so we developed this dish with a wheat beer for notes of sweetness and fermentation; a lager works, too. Steamed bulgur (recipe follows) is an ideal accompaniment.
4-6
Servings
Tip
Don’t forget to rinse and dry the leeks. Leeks’ many layers trap dirt and sand. To prevent grit from winding up in the stew, be sure to wash and drain them after slicing, then dry them to remove excess moisture that would otherwise impede browning.
3¾ hours
1 hour active
Ingredients
-
4
12-ounce lamb shanks or 3 pounds beef shanks, trimmed
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Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Directions
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01Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle position. Season the shanks evenly with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the ghee until barely smoking. Add the onions, leeks and cilantro stems. Reduce to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, coriander and cumin, then cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
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October 25, 2022
Soft meat
I made this 2 Thanksgivings ago. It was so cool to know you’re making an ancient recipe. And it was GOOD. The meat was soft.
I used lamb shanks from my local halal butcher. I used two white turnips and two yellow potatoes. I cooked it in a Lodge cast iron Dutch oven, which makes the transition from stovetop to oven and back. I think that it would be good with fenugreek, which you can find at specialty groceries, or online. It came out great! I served over couscous rather than bulgur wheat. I have pictures of it, if it helps. A little Torshi Litteh (Persian pickled, spiced eggplant) on the side can add some bite if it is too lamb-y or too bland.
We found this recipe to be fragrant and delicious! We used lamb shanks, thoroughly trimmed of fat, and half turnips and half red potatoes. Loved the melding of these seasonings and the beer (used a Belgian wheat beer) with the lamb and the freshness/ bite of the cilantro and arugula. Accompanied with French bread and a bold cabernet. Fabulous.
This was a huge success for me. We absolutely loved the complexity of flavors in the stew and the lamb shanks were perfect. It really opened up my eyes to historical recipes. I guess I think that way back when they didn't have the agricultural knowledge or kitchen tools we have now and we must be able to make better food but this was one of the most delicious recipes I have ever tried.
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It was delicious. I have use lamb shanks but cut off most of the fat so at the end I did not have to skim it off. I rarely cook rutabaga. It tastes great in this stew. I will make it again for sure. Thanks for the great recipe.