Ingredients
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2 large cooking onions
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1 pound veal or beef shank
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1/2 cup neutral oil
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1 teaspoon salt
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1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
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1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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1 teaspoon turmeric
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2 large quinces
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1/2 cup sugar
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1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
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1 teaspoon ground saffron
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1 tablespoon tomato paste
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2 cups of dried golden bukhara plums (you can substitute with prunes but it’s better to seek out the plums)
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4 cups of water
Directions
- Peel and julienne your onions and set aside. Wash your quinces with skin on (do not wash quince after peeling you don't want them to absorb the water). Using a corer, remove the core from the quince. After removing the core, cut the quince into quarter wedges (make sure to remove the seeds) and set aside. Using a mortar and pestle, grind your saffron and add to four to five ounces of boiling water, stir and set aside. Cut your meat into 1-1/2 to two inch cubes and set aside.
- Grab a dutch oven and add five tablespoons of neutral cooking oil to it. Place it on medium heat and brown your quinces for 10 - 15 minutes until golden and set aside. Keeping the stove on medium, add your onions to the same pot and fry until golden brown. Once the onions brown, add your meat, salt, pepper, and cinnamon and turmeric and let everyone feel groovy in the pool together. After browning the meat on all sides add three cups of water to the pot, put the lid on, and let simmer on low heat for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.
- After 1-1/2 hours, add your sugar, lemon juice, saffron water, tomato paste, quince, and golden plums to the meat that’s been braising in the pot and let everyone just simmer and relax together on low heat for another hour. Remember to keep stirring occasionally and making sure that the stew liquid is not reducing too much - if the liquid has reduced too much feel free to add a cup of boiling water during the cooking process.
- After the 2-1/2 hours are up, you should have a beautifully golden stew bursting with warm fall colours that is the perfect balance of sweet and sour. Serve the stew with a fluffy saffron basmati rice or enjoy with some crusty flatbread.
