Adapted from Gil Marks, “Encyclopedia of Jewish Food”
If making the Hamin in a pot, follow the second set of instructions below
- 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
- 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) beef brisket, cut into 2 inch cubes
- ½ kilo (1 pound) beef bones (optional)
- 3 onions, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup dried fava beans, soaked in cold water for at least 8 hours
- ¾ cup dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water for at least 8 hours
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
- ¾ cup pearl barley
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
- 6 eggs in their shells (optional)
In a large sauté pan with high sides, heat half the oil until shimmering. Add the beef in a single layer, do not crowd the pan, and brown beef well on all sides. You may have to do this in two batches depending on the size of your pan. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining oil to the pan and sauté the onions until very soft, occasionally stirring to ensure that the onions don’t stick to the bottom of the pan or burn, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for a further minute. Turn off heat.
Drain the fava beans and chickpeas. In the crock of the crock pot start layering up your ingredients. Place the bones if using, then the potatoes and beans and barley, top with beef and fried onions. Add the seasoning, and enough water to cover the whole mixture.
Place the crock pot on high for about an hour, just to get the mixture to a boil and lower the crockpot setting to low, add the eggs if using and let the crock pot go overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
If using a regular pot:
In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid or a Dutch oven, heat half the oil until shimmering, add the beef in a single layer, do not crowd the pan, and brown beef well on all sides, you may have to do this in two batches depending on the size of your pan. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining oil to the pan and sauté the onions until very soft, occasionally stirring to ensure that the onions don’t stick to the bottom of the pan or burn, about 10 minutes, add the garlic and sauté for a further minute.
Return the meat to the pot, add the bones, drained beans, potatoes, barley, seasoning and enough water to cover, bring to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the beans are nearly soft, about an hour.
Add more water if needed. Place eggs on top of the stew if using. Cover the pot tightly, cook on a super low flame that has been covered with a blech or in a 100℃ (200℉) oven overnight.
