Bozena Shiro Recipe

Brown the beef

Pat the cubed beef dry and season lightly with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil. When hot, add beef in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and brown on all sides, about 6–8 minutes total. Remove browned beef and set aside.

Return any accumulated juices from the pot to use when cooking the aromatics.

Prepare seasoned butter

Reduce heat to medium-low. In the same pot, add the 4 tbsp unsalted butter. Let it melt gently. Add minced garlic and ginger and sauté for 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Stir in berbere, turmeric, crushed cardamom (or ground), and dried fenugreek if using. Cook the spice-butter for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to bloom the spices. Remove about 2 tsp of this seasoned butter and set aside for finish/garnish.

Cook onions and tomatoes

Add the finely chopped onion to the pot with the remaining seasoned butter. Sauté over medium heat until soft and translucent, 6–8 minutes, scraping up brown bits. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to remove raw edge. Add chopped tomato or canned crushed tomato and cook 3–4 minutes until the mixture darkens slightly.

Combine and simmer

Return the browned beef to the pot. Add the cooked chickpeas and pour in 2 cups beef broth (or water) to just cover the mixture; scrape any fond from the bottom. Add remaining salt and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer 30–40 minutes until beef is tender and flavors have melded. If the stew becomes too thick, add up to 1/2 cup more broth or water.

Adjust seasoning and finish with lemon

Taste the stew and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavors. If desired, mash a few chickpeas against the side of the pot to slightly thicken the stew.

Garnish and serve

Ladle the Bozena Shiro into shallow bowls. Drizzle the reserved 2 tsp seasoned butter over each bowl for aromatic finish. Garnish with thin slices of jalapeño and sprinkle chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve hot with injera, flatbread, rice, or crusty bread.