148. Qatari Meat Harees

Harees is kind-of like a porridge stewed over a long time with meat.
Many Arab and North African countries have their versions, but since I picked this recipe up in Qatar, I have labeled it Qatari Harees.

The principle is as simple as can be: equal weights of whole wheat grains (or if unavailable, use barley) and meat chucks (I also added a couple of onions for extra flavor) are boiled together until completely pureed.
The practice is not so easy. First of all, it takes about five HOURS to cook. Maybe six, depending.
Second of all, you need a large pot to cook it in, and have to keep adding some water and stirring every half hour or so to prevent scorching. The onion and meat completely dissolve into the wheat grains, which inflate and become silky in texture. They also release their starch, significantly thickening the mixture, so if cooked over a high heat it will splatter and possibly burn exposed areas.
I used a kilo each of wheat and meat, but this yielded so incredibly much that I would suggest quartering the recipe to feed a family of six (plus left-overs).

Ingredients:

1 kg whole wheat grains
1 kg meat chuck cubes
1 Tbsp salt
3 large onions, sliced

For the topping:
1/2 cup butter or ghee, melted
2 tsp cinamon

Method:

Soak the wheat in a bowl covered with water over-night.
Combine the wheat, meat, onion, and salt in a large pot.
Add water to cover by a good 10 centimeters.
Bring to boil, cover, and then reduce heat to medium low.
Keep simmering it for five to six hours, adding water and stirring well to avoid scorching.
The end result should be a thick porridge where all the ingredients have completely merged into each other.
To make the texture even finer and silkier, you may beat the harees using the paddle attachment or even blend it in a food processor.
To serve, pour into the serving dish, pour over the surface the melted butter or ghee, and decorate with the cinnamon.

 صحة و عافية