Braised Beef with Kohlrabi Tzatziki & Pita
Instead of the traditional shaved lamb from the rotisserie, here we fill a warm sourdough pita with tender shredded spiced beef. Crunchy, green, and fresh, swapping kohlrabi for cucumber allows us to make tzatziki sauce in winter. Pickled onions or chilis cut the richness with a nice pop of acid.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
For the spice rub
2-3 pounds beef chuck
2 tablespoons coriander seed
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon aleppo chili
For the braise
Neutral oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1 quart stock, beef or chicken
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 cinnamon stick
10 allspice berries
5 whole cloves
For the kohlrabi tzatziki
1 kohlrabi bulb, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, microplaned
¾ cup greek yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup dill, finely chopped
Black pepper
To serve
Pita, store-bought or homemade
Pickled red onions or pickled chilis
Cilantro, mint, or dill, washed and picked
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 250°F with the fan on.
Prep the beef. Coarsely grind the coriander, cumin, fennel, and chili with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Trim any sinew and large pieces of fat and cut the beef into large chunks (about 3 inches). Season liberally with salt and then coat with the spice mix. This can be done up to two days in advance.
Braise the beef. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a thin layer of oil. Brown the beef on all sides. Add the remaining braise ingredients and bring to a simmer. Put the pot in the oven uncovered. Make sure the beef is always at least half submerged in liquid. Add more water if the liquid reduces too far. Every hour, rotate the beef so the exposed part gets submerged. The beef is done when it’s fork tender (3-4 hours).
Make the kohlrabi tzatziki. Grate the kohlrabi on the coarse side of a box grater. Toss with the salt. Transfer the grated kohlrabi to a sieve positioned over a small bowl. Let it drain for 10 minutes. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the kohlrabi (so the tzatziki doesn’t get too watery). Combine the kohlrabi with the remaining ingredients. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
Reduce the braising liquid to make a sauce. When the beef is cooked, transfer the chunks to a plate. Strain the braising liquid and return it to the pan. Skim off as much fat as possible. Reduce the liquid until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste for seasoning. Add the beef back to the pot and glaze it with the sauce.
Serve. Shred the beef. Warm the pita. Place some of the shredded beef on the pita and top it with the tzatziki, onions, and herbs.
FURTHER READING
