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Madfouna (Slow-Cooked Swiss Chard and Beef Stew)

Name: Madfouna (Slow-Cooked Swiss Chard and Beef Stew)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 285 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Tunisia
Ingredients: 1000 g fresh Swiss chard (stems stripped, leaves thoroughly washed, spin-dried, and finely shredded); 120 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 800 g beef shank or chuck roast (cut into 5cm thick chunks); 250 g beef marrow bones; 200 g dry white cannellini beans (soaked in cold water for 12 hours and drained); 1 large yellow onion (finely minced); 6 cloves garlic (crushed and minced); 8 g ground coriander seeds; 4 g ground caraway seeds; 3 g dried crushed spearmint (menthe séchée); 3 g sweet paprika or mild ground chili (felfel zina); 6 large eggs in their shell (carefully washed, to slow-braise whole in the stew); coarse sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

An inky, deeply unctuous Jewish-Tunisian stew of beef shank, marrow, and white beans slow-cooked until the fried Swiss chard fully melts.

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jewish-tunisianshabbat-stewpkaila-baseslow-braised

The story

Cherished by the historic Jewish community of Tunis (Grana and Twansa), Madfouna—meaning 'buried' in Arabic—is the quintessential Shabbat afternoon stew simmered overnight over glowing embers. The culinary foundation rests on the laborious reduction of mountains of Swiss chard fried in olive oil until black, glossy, and concentrated, a paste known as pkaila. Historically, slow-braising tough cuts of beef shank, marrow bones, and white beans into this dark savory reduction unlocks an earthy, bittersweet depth unachievable in quick cooking.

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