Category: Beef

This recipe, which dates from the earliest Arab culinary tradition, is for a so-called ‘cold’ dish (باردة, bārida), which referred to vegetable dishes, though some are with fish or, as in this case, meat, which were starters.

This dish is also unusual in that it is one of a relatively small number calling for beef. It is first boiled in water and when, murrī and a thick sauce made with pounded walnuts, vinegar, rue and salt are poured over it. It is served with a sprinkling of zayt al-unfāq (زيت الأنفاق) — a term derived from the Greek omphákion (ὀμφάκινον) –, which referred to oil pressed from fresh unripe olives. The garnish includes quartered hard-boiled eggs, rue and greens herbs.

Known in al-Andalus as tafāyā (تفايا), a word of Berber origin, it is one of the dishes allegedly imported by the famous Abbasid musician and gastronome Ziryāb (d. 852). In the East, it was known as isfīdhbāj(a), a Persian borrowing which translates as ‘white stew’ because it was originally made with cheese.

It seems to have suited the Andalusian palate since it became extremely popular; it would be served as the first course of every meal, whereas the great physician Ibn Zuhr (1094–1162) claimed it was one of the best ways to cook meat.

This particular tafāyā is made with kid (a small goat), which is cooked with water, salt, olive oil, coriander, mint, almonds, onions, purslane and, of course, lots of eggs! The result is aptly called a ‘green’ tafāyā.

A fragrant recipe from The Exile’s Cookbook for beef cooked with pomelo vinegar, murrī , garlic, salt, olive oil, pepper, coriander and garlic until it is browned, and the juices dried out. Before serving, it is perfumed with pomelo vinegar, though lemon or sour grape vinegar are suggested variants. The result is a veritable carnivore’s feast, best eaten with some flatbread.