Ingredients Print

Check off ingredients as you go

Serves 12

For 1 jar of spinach concentrate

• 800 g (1.75 lb) spinach leaves (fresh or frozen)
• oil (neutral or olive)

For the pkaila

• 2 Tbsp coarsely chopped garlic (4-5 cloves)
• 2 kg (4.4 lb) beef (shank, cheek, neck or short ribs)
• 2 pieces calf’s foot
• 350 g (about 12 handfuls / 2 cups) dried white beans (cannellini or great northern)
• 1/2 bunch fresh mint, washed and finely chopped
• 1 tsp harissa (or to taste)
• neutral oil

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

To plan ahead, you can make the spinach concentrate on another day, so that on the day itself (or the day before) all you have left to do is cook the pkaila.

Making the spinach concentrate

1. Thaw the spinach and squeeze it out well. In a large skillet, heat enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the spinach over high heat. The goal is to dry it out without burning it. You’ll need to lower the heat as the spinach reduces. Stir regularly, salt, and add a little oil so it doesn’t stick. The spinach will darken slightly and become light as a feather, because it will be dehydrated.

2. Once cooked, salt generously, add 4 Tbsp olive oil (to help it keep) and transfer to a sterilized jar. Store in the bottom of the refrigerator.

Making the pkaila

1. Trim the meat, cut it into pieces of about 150 g (5 oz) and rinse it. In a Dutch oven or pressure cooker, add 4 Tbsp oil (or a little more to cover the bottom). Sear the meat on all sides over high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. Once the pieces are seared, set them aside and discard the excess oil.

2. In a saucepan filled with water and 2 Tbsp white vinegar, boil the calf’s foot several times (changing the water) to remove the impurities and the bone. Rinse it well under cold water.

3. In the same pot, add a fresh layer of oil (1/2 glass, about 100 ml) and return the meat. If you haven’t already, coarsely chop the garlic. Wash the mint and finely chop it. Add the garlic to the pot, along with the mint, 12 heaping Tbsp of spinach concentrate (in principle the equivalent of one jam jar) and the white beans. Season with pepper and add the harissa. Add the calf’s foot and cover with water, a little more than level with the ingredients.

4. Close the pressure cooker and cook under pressure (about 40 minutes from the moment the cooker starts to whistle). Check for doneness: the meat should be very tender.

Serve with couscous or Tunisian Italian bread.

Tips and variations

• Making the spinach concentrate is really worth the effort, and you’ll have some left for next time. Ready-made jars exist, but the taste really doesn’t compare… You can make the spinach concentrate ahead; it will keep for months in the refrigerator.
• The calf’s foot is essential, because it’s what thickens the pkaila; without it the consistency would be watery.
• In this recipe, there’s no need to soak the beans overnight: the spinach “activates” their cooking without pre-soaking.