Spiced beef cooked with pomegranate and raisins

A delicious recipe with the intense aroma and refreshing taste of pomegranates. You could substitute with beef cheeks or brisket. If you'd prefer the sauce more velvety in texture, you can pass it through a blender after discarding the cloves

Recipe of Eleni Psichouli,

"BHMAgourmet" magazine from "TO BHMA" newspaper

Ingredients (for 6 people):
1 1/2 Kg of beef (or veal) shoulder, cut in portions
salt
pepper
¾ tea-cup of olive oil
8 whole cloves
4 large onions, roughly chopped
½ tea-cup of fresh orange juice
1 glass of red dry wine
½ tsp of ground cardamom
1 tbsp of plain vinegar
3 pomegranates, the arils
1 tea-cup of blond raisins

Method:
In a wide and heavy-bottomed pot warm the oil on medium to high heat. Add the meat and the cloves and sauté until it gets well coloured on all sides. Add the onions and sauté for about 1-2 more minutes stirring with a wooden spatula.

Pour over with the orange juice, the wine and the vinegar. Add the cardamom, season with salt and pepper and add enough warm water just to cover the meat. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover with the lid and leave the meat to slowly cook for 1 ½ -2 hours or until it is really tender.

While cooking, check if there is enough liquid in the pot all the time and only if it is really needed add a bit more. We don't want the food to end up with a watery and thin sauce.

Using a slotted spoon transfer the meat onto a plate. Using a fork mash the onions in the pot as much as possible. Add in the pot the pomegranate, the raisins and 1/2 a cup of warm water.

Leave the sauce to simmer for about 15 minutes and then put the meat back in the pot to warm through.

Serve immediately plain as it is or along with steamed potatoes or a white rice pilaf.