Adam Liaw’s Lebanese beef and spinach stew

Name: Adam Liaw’s Lebanese beef and spinach stew
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 500g beef mince; 1 brown onion, peeled and diced; 4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped; 2 tsp baharat*; 500ml chicken stock; 750g frozen spinach; ½ bunch coriander, roughly chopped (optional); salt, to season; 25g unsalted butter or ghee; ¼ cup pine nuts; lemon wedges, to serve

Adam Liaw

July 25, 2025

Serve this simple mince dish with vermicelli rice (recipe below).William Meppem

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4-6

This is a classic home-style dish in Lebanon, where it’s known as sabanekh w riz. It’s an example of home-cooked dishes from around the world that have become tried and tested solutions for practical dinners – and if they work in your neighbour’s home they’ll probably work in yours, too. Plus, the ingredients are available in any supermarket.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
500g beef mince
1 brown onion, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tsp baharat*
500ml chicken stock
750g frozen spinach
½ bunch coriander, roughly chopped (optional)
salt, to season
25g unsalted butter or ghee
¼ cup pine nuts
lemon wedges, to serve

Method

Step 1
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the oil.
Step 2
Form the meat into a large patty and fry until well browned on both sides. Break up the patty and continue to brown the mince.
Step 3
Add the onion and garlic and fry for about 3 minutes until the onion is softened. Add the baharat and mix well.
Step 4
Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes loosely covered, then add the spinach and coriander and season with salt.
Step 5
Simmer uncovered for a further 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened to a stew-like consistency.
Step 6
Heat a small frying pan over medium heat, add the butter or ghee and the pine nuts and fry until the pine nuts are golden brown.
Step 7
Transfer the stew to a serving plate and pour the pine-nut mix over the top. Serve with vermicelli rice and lemon wedges.

*Tip: Baharat is a spice mix of paprika, black pepper, cumin, cassia (or cinnamon), coriander, nutmeg and cardamom. You can use garam masala as a substitute.