Lebanese Green Bean Stew (yahneh or lubieh) Recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 3 lb. chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces
Salt and pepper
½ lb. button or baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 28 oz. cans tomato sauce
28 oz. (1 can full) water
1 pound green beans, washed and trimmed

In a 4 quart pan, over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Pat the meat dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown and caramelize the meat in batches, removing the meat as it is finished.

Over medium heat, add the mushrooms to the pot. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Saute until slightly caramelized and soft, scraping up the fond, or browned bits, from the bottom of the pan.

Add the onions, season lightly with salt and pepper, and sauté until soft and translucent.

Add the meat and the cinnamon. Mix well and add the tomato sauce and the water. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for one hour.

Add the beans and cook until the beans are soft, about 15 minutes.

Serve over Lebanese rice, which is long grain white rice with a handful of toasted thin pasta added to the rice (about 10 dry noodles broken into 2” pieces; angel hair, spaghetti, or linguini all work well). To toast the pasta, melt butter in a sauce pan over medium high heat and when it foams up, add the pasta, stirring constantly until the pasta turns golden. Add the rice, coat with the butter, then add the broth (2:1 broth to rice). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.