Kharcho

Ingredients

• 1½ lbbeefcut into bite-sized pieces
• 10½ cupswaterfor the broth
• 3½ ozricerinsed, sometimes pre-soaked
• 8¾ ozonionfinely diced
• 4 clovesgarlicpressed or crushed with salt in a mortar
• 3½ ozwalnutsfinely ground or pounded
• 10½ oztomatoespeeled and puréed, alternatively canned
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 2¾ ozTkemalisouring element
• 1 tbspkhmeli suneli
• 1 tspblue fenugreek
• 1 tspground coriandersometimes dried cilantro leaf instead
• 1 tspground marigold
• 1Chili pepperseeded, finely chopped
• 2bay leaf
• 1 bunchcilantrostems cooked with the base, leaves at the end
• 1 bunchparsleyfinely chopped
• 2 tbspvegetable oilfor sautéing
• 1 ozbutterinstead of or in addition to oil (optional)
• 1 tbspadjikaas a hot seasoning paste (optional)
• 1Carrotsimmered in the broth or in the sautéed base (optional)
• 1⅓ ozCelerystalk or root (optional)
• saltsometimes Svan salt or smoked salt
• black pepperground, sometimes also peppercorns

Method

1. Bring the beef to a boilRinse the beef. Cut boneless beef into large pieces; if you're using bone-in beef, cut it into chunks but leave the meat on the bone for now. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil and carefully skim off the foam as it rises.
2. Simmer the brothTurn the heat down and let the broth simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the meat is tender. If you like, drop in an extra whole onion (on top of the diced onion for the base), a carrot, celery, the bay leaves and a few peppercorns to cook along.
3. Cut the meat and prep the riceStrain the broth, discard the vegetables that cooked in it, lift out the meat and cut it into bite-sized pieces, pulling it off the bone first if you used bone-in beef. Meanwhile, wash the rice several times, soak it for 15 to 40 minutes if you wish, and drain it.
4. Cook the spiced tomato baseSweat the finely diced onion in vegetable oil or butter until soft and golden, then add the peeled, puréed tomatoes, the tomato paste, the finely chopped chili pepper and the spices: khmeli suneli, blue fenugreek, coriander and ground marigold. Let everything cook down together for a few minutes.
5. Make the walnut pasteGrind or pound the walnuts finely with a little of the garlic and a pinch of salt, mix in the cilantro stems, and stir in a little hot broth to make a smooth paste.
6. Cook the rice in the brothReturn the meat to the strained broth, bring it back to a boil, scatter in the rice and cook for 10 to 20 minutes.
7. Stir in base and pasteStir in the onion-tomato base, the walnut paste and the Tkemali, and let the soup simmer quietly for 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Season the soupSeason with salt and black pepper and stir in the rest of the crushed garlic; for more heat, add a spoonful of adjika.
9. Rest and serveFold in the chopped cilantro leaves and parsley, take the pot off the heat and let the soup stand covered for 10 to 30 minutes. Serve hot with bread.

Tips and variations

Kharcho takes well to all kinds of variations. Instead of pieces of meat, you can brown ground beef along with the onions, or roll it into small meatballs. Chicken or veal stand in nicely for the beef. The sourness can come from tkemali, from soaked tklapi (plum fruit leather), or from tomato and tomato paste alone. A version without walnuts leans on tomato paste and spices to carry the body. Some cooks sear the meat hard before simmering, bind the walnut paste with cornmeal, or cook the rice separately and add it at the very end. Done the Mingrelian way, it becomes a thick stew without rice, bound with walnuts and thickened with flour. Serve it hot with bread, flatbread or slightly stale white bread, and scatter over pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs like basil, dill or spring onion if you have them.