The word of the day is melange, a french word meaning "Ho boy, there's a lot of stuff in this". When making this dish, keep the word melange in the back of your mind, as when you reach the tenth spice, you gain insight to what the word truly means.

The sauce here is amazing, even if it's an anglicized approximation of its Ethiopian counterpart T'ibs W'et. Typically in Ethiopian Cooking, tomatoes are not to be seen, and the butter would be of the clarified spiced variety that I talked about here last week. Not so much for this recipe, but it does make a great starting point for those looking to ease themselves into Ethiopian foods.

• 1 Tablespoon frech ginger, minced
• 1 Tablespoon ground paprika
• 1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 14 1/2 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup dry red wine (I used a nice Merlot, which worked fine)
• 2 1/2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 3/4" pieces

Into a mixing bowl, combine all of the spices, from ginger to the allspice. Mix together with a fork and then set aside.

Take the onions, and finely dice them in a food processor. They should almost look pureed, but not quite.

Meanwhile, in a large stock pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the newly diced onions, and allow to brown for about 10 minuters, stirring often.

After the ten minutes, add the melange of spices and mix into the onions until you get a nice aroma from the pot, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and red wine. Add the beef, lower the heat to a simmer (185 degrees F), and cover with a lid. Cook from 2-3 hours.

Serves 6

Technorati Tags: Food, Stew, Recipes, Beef, Ethiopian Food