Lithuanian Tsimmes with Beef and Beets

"The following tsimmes with beets, turnips, carrots, and meat came from Vilna to Brooklyn earlier in this century. When I make this for my family I do not tell the children that it includes beets and turnips. For some unknown reason they never ask me how the dish became so red. They love it." - Joan Nathan.

Recipe Ingredients:

3 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 pounds flank, chuck, or brisket of beef
2 onions, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups boiling water
1/4 cup honey or to taste
8 carrots, coarsely grated
1 turnip, coarsely grated
1 beet, coarsely grated
1 sweet potato, peeled and quartered (optional)

Cooking Directions:

1. Mix 2 teaspoons of the salt and pepper and rub it into the beef. Place in a Dutch oven or heavy pot with the onions and brown slowly over a medium heat. Add the flour, mixing well. Add the water, stirring, until it reaches the boiling point. Cover and simmer slowly for about 1 hour.
2. Mix the honey in with the meat, then add the vegetables and remaining salt. Cover and bake in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for an hour and a half, removing the cover for the last 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Makes 6 to 8 servings (M).

Recipe from: Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan.