Braised Beef with Prunes and Winter Vegetables

This Braised Beef with Prunes and Winter Vegetables comes from Odesa, Ukraine’s most cosmopolitan city (or Odessa, the Russian transliteration). The dish originated in Odesa’s Jewish community many centuries ago and became part of the city’s multiethnic culinary tradition.

For millennia, Ukraine, a country geographically located on the crossroads between Europe and Asia along the Black Sea, was settled, conquered, ruled and colonized by many nationalities, each of whom coveted Odesa’s coastal location and warm-water harbors.

Although Russians claim the city was always Russian, in ancient times, the site of current Odesa was settled by various peoples and tribes, among them Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians and Greeks. The Greek colony disappeared between the 3rd and 4th centuries BCE. Thereafter, the area passed through the hands of several Slavic tribes, Lithuanians, Poles, Crimean Tartars, and Turks until the Russians captured it in 1789 during the Russo-Turkish War. Under the Treaty of Jassy in 1792, Russia formally gained possession of a medium-sized village. A new fortress was built, and in 1794 a naval base and commercial quay were added. In 1795 the new port was named Odesa for the ancient Greek colony of Odessos, the site of which was believed to be in the vicinity. Within a few decades, Odesa became a large duty-free port and trade center, exporting wheat, other grains and wool.

Foreigners made Odesa. For centuries, Odesa was multinational, multilingual, and multiethnic. Russians, Ukrainians, Tartars, Greeks, Jews, Poles, Italians, Germans, French, Armenians, Moldovans and others made Odesa home. Each of these ethnic groups added to the city’s cultural pastiche, creating a colorful and eclectic community. Odesa became a multiethnic melting pot, not unlike America. Mark Twain, a visitor in the 1860s, said Odesa looked just like an American city. At the end of the 19th century, Ukrainian was Odesa’s third most widely spoken language, after Russian and Yiddish.

The greatest contribution to Odesa’s cuisine came from Jews who migrated to Odesa, one of the larger cities in the Pale of Settlement, which was the area of the Russian Empire to which Jews were confined. But in Odesa, there was no ghetto and Jews could settle there with few restrictions, making the city an attractive destination for many Jews from small towns throughout the Russian Empire, who were fleeing the shtetl for the big city in search of a better life.

In Odesa, Jews were nearly equal to other citizens. However, antisemitism and political tensions still resulted in periodic pogroms when Russian authorities targeted and blamed Jews and other non-Slavs for economic collapse and civic protests against the tsarist regime.

By the middle of the 19^th century, Odesa became a center of Jewish life politically and culturally. Jewish writers, Klezmer musicians, Yiddish theater actors, assorted intellectuals, Zionist leaders, Hebrew and Yiddish publications found a haven there, enriching the city. The intellectual creativity of Jewish life in Odesa developed in the city’s ubiquitous cafés, which became centers of Jewish culture and a place where Jews were comfortable. Other nationalities also frequented the cafes, and the Jewish food served there and in hundreds of restaurants became part of the city’s culinary heritage.

Outdoor cafe, Odesa

By the mid-19^th century, 30% of Odesa was Jewish which lasted until 1941. During Nazi occupation, many Jews were deported to concentration camps and killed. Fortunately, Jewish foodways were preserved in Odesa’s homes. Many Jews returned to Odesa in the 1950s-1960s, and since Ukraine’s independence in 1991, Odesa’s Jewish community and culture are experiencing a renaissance.

Enjoying an evening in an Odesa cafe

Use of the Russian language was mandatory during Russia’s 200-year rule. Still, as the current war destroys Odesa’s neighborhoods, Odesites overwhelmingly consider themselves Ukrainian, not Russian, fighting to preserve the city’s polyglot character, its art, music, and literature. Odesa is an integral part of Ukraine’s past and future.

Unity march against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Odesa March 2022

This Braised Beef with Prunes and Winter Vegetables comes from Odesa’s Jewish kitchens, where it is called sour-sweet. It is based on tzimmes (pronounced tsi-mess which means to make a big fuss), a Jewish holiday staple, especially on Rosh Hashanah, but now served in Odesa‘s restaurants year-round. Tzimmes prepared without beef is a side dish, but this version stands alone as an entrée served with crusty bread to sop up the sour-sweet sauce. As Savva Libkin, the Odesa chef and restauranteur, says: The meat is often eaten first, but the most delicious part remains at the bottom of the pot, that same sweet and sour sauce.

The success of this dish depends on the proper cut of meat. A well-marbled boneless beef chuck roast is essential to produce tender meat and slow searing develops a deep brown crust that enhances flavor. Some recipes use other meats such as lamb, lamb shanks or short ribs (both of which will take considerably longer to become tender).

I followed Savva Libkin’s recipe, which extolled the sour-sweet taste of prunes to add body, sweetness and acidity. However, the American prunes I used were very sweet. A lemon wedge added to each serving provides a few drops of lemon juice, replicating the tart taste of Ukrainian dried prunes. Other fruits often used are quinces or dried apricots, sometimes even a combination.

Visually, the resulting Braised Beef with Prunes and Winter Vegetables is colorful with black prunes, orange cubes of carrots and golden potato orbs nestled among glossy brown beef cubes in a lush sauce. It is an excellent make-ahead dish that deepens its flavor overnight. This braise has an intense savory-sweet flavor, so comforting on a cold evening.

Ingredients

Braised Beef with Prunes and Winter Vegetables, adapted from Savva Lipkin*

2.2 pounds (1 k) well-marbled chuck roast
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1.5 pounds (649 g) small boiling potatoes, kept whole if 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter or quartered if larger
6.8 ounces (200 ml) sunflower or other vegetable oil
1.3 pounds (600 g) yellow onions, diced, about 5-6
2 medium carrots, in large cubes
10.6 ounces (300 g) pitted prunes
3.5 ounces (100 g) golden raisins
1.38 quarts (1.3 l) beef broth
5-7 allspice berries
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 slices dark rye sourdough bread, in tiny cubes (optional)
Parsley, minced for garnish (optional)
Lemon wedges (optional)

Preparing prunes: If the pitted prunes and raisins are dry to the touch, soak for an hour in cold water. (Skip this step if prunes and raisins are soft.)

Preparing vegetables: Wash and peel potatoes, onions and carrots. Then dice the onions into small pieces and the carrots into large cubes.

Prepared vegetables

Preparing the meat: Trim large pieces of fat from the meat, leaving marbling which adds flavor. Remove connective tissue and cut meat into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces.

Trimmed beef

Pat meat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge meat in flour.

Dredged with salt, pepper and flour

Add oil to a heavy pot and heat until shimmering. Then brown half of the meat on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove to a side plate and continue browning meat until done.

Browning meat

Return meat with accumulated juices to the pot, if browned in batches. Add onion and cook for another 15 minutes until onion is translucent.

Add 6.9-8.5 ounces (200-250 ml) of beef broth, allspice, bay leaf and half of the prunes. Reduce heat and simmer for 65 minutes, stirring often, occasionally adding broth.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add broth until it covers the meat and braise on simmer for another 25 minutes.

Stir stew with a wooden spoon, loosening the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Increase heat to medium. Then add carrots, potatoes, remaining prunes and raisins, cover tightly and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Do not stir or remove lid during this final cooking. Turn off the heat and wait an hour before serving.

Braising

When you remove lid, if the sauce is not sufficiently thickened, stir in a few tablespoons of rye bread cubes until dissolved to thicken broth.

Remove and discard bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve with crusty bread or rice or other grains and a lemon wedge. Leftover stew should be cooled and refrigerated and reheated before serving the next day. The flavor of the stew improves if made at least one day ahead.

Serves 4.

*Savva Libkin, My Odessa Cuisine, Ekspo, Moscow, 2018.

Photo credits:
Odesa outdoor café, Radiokafka, 23581597, Dreamtime|
Enjoying an evening in Odesa café, Evgeniy Fesenko, 67703475, Dreamstime
Unity March against Russian invasion, Olga Soloviova, 241972041, Dreamstime
All other photos — Slava Johnson

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Braised Beef with Prunes and Winter Vegetables

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