Zigni with Taita

We already have an Ethiopian night on the map, so I want Eritrea to stand on its own rather than be a footnote to its neighbor, and zigni is the dish Eritreans themselves name first. The technique I want to learn is the long, dry onion cook that starts most Horn-of-Africa stews: onions cooked down with no oil at first until they melt into a paste, which is what gives the sauce its body without flour or cream. Berbere is the one specialty ingredient, and it is now easy to find. Once the beef goes in, the pot looks after itself, and I expect to keep my son's portion gentle by holding back some of the berbere and passing the rest at the table.

• Berbere: The whole dish. Buy a blend labeled berbere (Whole Foods, well-stocked supermarkets, any Ethiopian or Eritrean grocer, or online). Heat varies by brand, so start with the lower amount. In a pinch, mix 2 tablespoons paprika, 1 teaspoon cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon each ground ginger, coriander and fenugreek, and a pinch each of cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.
• Beef chuck: Cut into 1-inch cubes, it turns tender in about 45 minutes of simmering. Stew meat from the butcher case works but check for very large pieces.
• Onions, lots of them: Three large onions sound like too many; they cook down to a paste that thickens the sauce. Do not skip the slow, dry start.
• Taita / injera: Many cities have an Ethiopian or Eritrean grocer or restaurant that sells injera by the packet; some Whole Foods stock it. Substitute warm naan, lavash or soft flour tortillas; the dish is still right.
• Oil instead of spiced butter: Many home cooks use tesmi, a spiced clarified butter. I am using neutral oil to keep this dairy-free; a tablespoon of butter stirred in at the end is a fine upgrade.

1. Finely dice the onions; a food processor pulsed a few times is fine here because they will cook to a paste anyway. Mince the garlic and grate the ginger. Dice the tomatoes.
2. Pat the beef dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.
3. For a quick cooling side, toss the cabbage with thin cucumber slices, a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil. Refrigerate.
4. Measure the berbere: 2 tablespoons for a warming stew, 3 for one that bites. Slice the chile for the table if using.

1. Put the onions in a dry Dutch oven over medium heat with a pinch of salt. Stir every minute or two for 10–12 minutes; they will release their water, soften and start to turn golden and pasty. Add a splash of water if they catch.
2. Add the oil, then the berbere, cumin and cardamom. Stir constantly for 1 minute so the spices bloom in the oil without scorching.
3. Add the garlic, ginger and tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes and cook 4–5 minutes, until they break down and the mixture looks like a thick red paste.
4. Add the beef and stir to coat. Pour in 1 1/2 cups water, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on low for 40–45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened enough to mound slightly. Uncover for the last 10 minutes if it looks thin.
5. Taste for salt. If you want more heat for the adult portions, stir another teaspoon of berbere into a ladle of stew in a small bowl.
6. Warm the injera or flatbread in a dry skillet or wrapped in foil in a low oven for 5 minutes.

Lay a round of injera or flatbread on each plate and spoon the zigni into the center, with the cabbage-cucumber salad to one side; tear more bread into pieces for scooping and put the chile slices and a wedge of lemon on the adult plates only. My son's plate gets the 2-tablespoon version of the stew with extra salad and bread, and the cilantro is optional for everyone. Zigni is better the next day: leftovers keep three days in the fridge and reheat gently with a splash of water, and they are good over spaghetti.