Sofrito is the signature dish of Jerusalem, my hometown. The name comes from the ladino dialect, a kind of pidgin Spanish spoken by the oldest Jewish community there. To me sofrito is the essence of the simple, no-frills, salt-and-pepper cooking typical of this town. The meat is browned slowly in its own fat, then a ton of onions are browned in that same fat. Potatoes are added along with seasonal variations—artichokes, Jerusalem artichokes, turnips, quince.… A few tomatoes or tomato purée can be added for color and sweetness; plums or prunes are another option. All this is left to cook in a large pot on the lowest flame for a few hours or overnight. Inside the pot the meat and vegetables release their juices and slowly stew in them. These juices later reduce into a thick, glistening, savory glaze. The resulting meat is utterly melting and somehow tastes meatier than usual, but the main events for me are always the potatoes—lacquered and soft, browned to the core by the juice of meat and onion—and the scent, which for me is the essential smell of home.
Serves 2, with leftovers
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1-2 lb/850g beef short ribs
2½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large onions, peeled
2 medium potatoes, peeled
heaping 1 tbsp tomato purée
8-10 dried pitted dates
½ cup/120ml water
2½ tbsp date molasses, to glaze
Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a high heat. Place the short ribs flat-side down in the pan and season with the salt and pepper. Allow to brown on one side before turning and coloring the other side (about 3–4 minutes on each). In the meantime, cut each onion into six wedges and each potato into eight wedges.
Remove the ribs from the frying pan and place in a large ovenproof pot, leaving the frying pan on the heat. Put the onions in the frying pan and allow to color a little (keep the heat high)—this will take about 2–3 minutes. Then add the potato wedges and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the tomato purée and stir around to coat the vegetables, then tip the contents of the frying pan on top of the meat in the ovenproof pot.
Add the dates and water, cover the pot and cook—you can either simmer it on a very low heat for a very long time (3–4 hours), or do as we do and place it in the oven at 325°F for 3–4 hours, or, even better, set your oven to 300°F and let it cook very slowly overnight. The potatoes will brown and caramelize and the meat will become very tender and fall off the bone. Before serving, brush the meat with the date molasses to make it shiny and sweet. Perfect.