Chashushuli

We continue our rubric on Georgian cuisine and today we want to present you a recipe for one of the most popular dishes among Georgians - "Chashushuli" - meat stewed in its own juice and spicy tomato sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
- beef (pulp, tenderloin) - 500 g
- onions - 4 pcs.
- lemon juice - 2 tbsp. l.
- Abkhaz adjika from "Gamarjoba Genatsvale" - 1 tbsp. l.
- vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. l.
- bell pepper - 1 pc.
- hops-suneli from "Gamarjoba Genatsvale" - 0.5 tsp.
- utskho-suneli from "Gamarjoba Genatsvale" - 0.5 tsp.
- seasoning for meat dishes from "Gamarjoba Genatsvale" - 0.5 tsp.
- red pepper - 0.5 tsp. or to taste
- fresh tomatoes - 350 g
- tomato juice - 3 tbsp. l.
- ground garlic from "Gamarjoba Genatsvale" - 0.5 tsp.
- Svan salt from "Gamarjoba Genatsvale" - 1 tsp.
- dill, parsley - a large bunch
- red onion - for serving
COOKING:
1. Cut the beef into pieces of medium size. Put it in a deep bowl. Flesh without veins is suitable: tenderloin, shoulder blade, brisket - the softer the tenderloin, the faster the meat will cook and the softer it tastes.
2. Cut the onions into large half rings - you need 4-5 medium-sized onions. Add it to a bowl of meat, squeezing it with your hands forcibly so that the onion releases the juice. Pour in vegetable oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice and add a tablespoon of adjika. Mix everything well and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat a large and deep frying pan (ideally cook in a cauldron). We spread the meat together with onions in a dry frying pan. Cover with a lid and simmer in our own juice - no need to add water, beef and onions will give a lot of their own liquid. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, over medium heat, from time to time looking under the lid and stirring.
4. As soon as almost all the liquid has evaporated in the pan, add the diced bell pepper. Next, add spices: hops-suneli, utskho-suneli, seasoning for meat dishes (you can add a little more ground coriander). Cover with a lid again and simmer for 5 minutes so that sweet paprika and spices reveal their aroma.
5. Add mashed peeled tomatoes and tomato juice to the pan. The liquid from the tomatoes should completely cover the meat, so you may need more juice (you can dilute the tomato paste with water and use it if necessary). Cover again and simmer over low heat until the meat is cooked for about 1 hour. Here it is important to ensure that during stewing there is enough own meat and tomato juice so that the beef is stewed in it and does not burn. If the liquid has boiled away, you will have to add boiling water.
6. The meat should become absolutely soft and tender, easy to divide into fibers. At the very end, add Svan salt - adjika, as a rule, is already salty and spicy, so be careful! At the very end, pour ground garlic and herbs into the pan, immediately remove from heat and let the dish brew under the lid for 10-15 minutes.
In Georgia, it is customary to serve chasushuli on a ketsi - a thick-walled frying pan made of red clay with low sides. Top can be sprinkled with extra herbs and thinly chopped onions (just before serving).
Enjoy your meal!