An old roommate of mine was from Egypt and he taught me how to make this Egyptian Lahma Bil Basal. The secret to this beef and onion stew is a long, slow simmer time. Slow cooking beef makes the meat extra tender and full of flavor. Slow cooked stews are my favorite winter food and there’s something extra special about this comforting, hearty and flavorful stew. After two hours in the oven, this will have the most tender beef with tender onions and it has the best rich and delicious sauce!
The key to a flavorful stew is to brown the meat in butter and oil first. The beef should be dark brown and slightly crisp on the outside. If you just cook the beef until it has changed color from pink to light brown, you will not have enough caramelized meat juice for the deep flavor this stew needs.
To make Egyptian Lahma Bil Basal, you will need the following ingredients:
In a large pan or Dutch oven, combine beef, butter, and canola. Cook the beef over medium heat for about 5 minutes until it is brown and slightly crispy on the outside.
Add the onions, chicken bouillon, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the beef.
Pour in the water.
Turn the heat down to low. Cover, and simmer for about 2 hours until beef is tender and onions have reduced into a thick sauce.
Serve with rice, homemade pita bread or if your desire with macaroni.
This Egyptian Lahma Bil Basal is rich and flavorful. It is perfect winter comfort food. If you make this, come back and let me know what you think in the comments below.
