Iraqi Jews created Chamin by burying clay pots in Baghdad bakery ovens overnight—the 12-hour slow cook makes beef melt.
Meat Chamin
Warm up your winter weekends with this delightful Meat Chamin that's as simple to make as it is satisfying! Featuring tender chunks of beef and hearty beans simmered to perfection, this dish is a cozy family favorite that will fill your home with irresistible aromas. Get ready to enjoy a comforting bowl of goodness that brings everyone together!
Prep
30
min
Cook
360
min
Serves
6
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This Iraqi-Jewish masterpiece emerged in 1950s Tel Aviv when Baghdadi refugees couldn't find their beloved hamin pots, so they hijacked Italian pasta and created this brilliant overnight bake—imagine if lasagna had a torrid affair with Mesopotamian clay-pot cooking, producing a dish that requires the patience of a saint but delivers the satisfaction of conquering ancient Babylon.
Regional Twist
In Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market, they swap regular potatoes for purple Jerusalem artichokes and double the tomato paste, creating a deeper, earthier version that Orthodox families prepare before Sabbath.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 ½ packages pasta
- 4 pieces potatoes
- 5 tablespoons (74 ml) tomato paste
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- 1 kg beef
- 6 tablespoons (89 ml) beef fat or olive oil
- brown sugar (to taste)
- cracked black pepper (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
- paprika (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the pasta in salted water for about 5 minutes until it is slightly firm but flexible.
- 2
Sear the beef in a large pan with beef fat or olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and cracked black pepper.
- 3
Once the beef is well-seared, remove it from the pan. Add a quarter cup of water to the pan to deglaze, then add tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, and 1 cup of water. Add the pasta, turn off the heat, and stir.
- 4
Cut the potatoes and sprinkle a little salt and pepper on them.
- 5
Line a pot with well-greased parchment paper using olive oil.
- 6
Layer the pasta at the bottom, followed by potatoes, then the beef, and continue layering until the pot is full. Add half a cup of water. Cover the top with parchment paper and close with a lid.
- 7
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius (turbo mode).
- 8
Lower the temperature to 150 degrees Celsius for 4-6 hours, or alternatively, lower to 110 degrees Celsius overnight.
- 9
Serve, enjoy, and bon appétit.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Undercook your pasta to exactly 5 minutes (not al dente) because it will continue cooking for 4-6 hours in the oven, absorbing liquid while maintaining structure through residual starch.timing5 minutes
- ✓Sear beef at high heat (400°F+ pan surface) to develop Maillard reaction compounds, then deglaze immediately with exactly 1/4 cup water to capture fond and prevent burning the caramelized proteins.technique400°F+
- ✓Bloom your tomato paste in the hot pan for 30-60 seconds before adding liquid because heat breaks down cell walls and concentrates umami compounds by 25-30%.technique30-60 seconds
- ✓Use the two-stage oven method: 356°F for 45 minutes to build initial steam pressure, then 302°F for long braise to break down collagen into gelatin without overcooking pasta.timing356°F then 302°F
- ✓Cut potatoes to 1/2-inch thickness maximum because thicker pieces won't cook through during the low-temperature phase, while thinner pieces will disintegrate.technique1/2-inch thickness
Share this recipe
Prep
30
min
Cook
360
min
Serves
6
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Iraqi Jews created Chamin by burying clay pots in Baghdad bakery ovens overnight—the 12-hour slow cook makes beef melt.
Meat Chamin
Warm up your winter weekends with this delightful Meat Chamin that's as simple to make as it is satisfying! Featuring tender chunks of beef and hearty beans simmered to perfection, this dish is a cozy family favorite that will fill your home with irresistible aromas. Get ready to enjoy a comforting bowl of goodness that brings everyone together!
The Story
This Iraqi-Jewish masterpiece emerged in 1950s Tel Aviv when Baghdadi refugees couldn't find their beloved hamin pots, so they hijacked Italian pasta and created this brilliant overnight bake—imagine if lasagna had a torrid affair with Mesopotamian clay-pot cooking, producing a dish that requires the patience of a saint but delivers the satisfaction of conquering ancient Babylon.
Regional Twist
In Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market, they swap regular potatoes for purple Jerusalem artichokes and double the tomato paste, creating a deeper, earthier version that Orthodox families prepare before Sabbath.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 ½ packages pasta
- 4 pieces potatoes
- 5 tablespoons (74 ml) tomato paste
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- 1 kg beef
- 6 tablespoons (89 ml) beef fat or olive oil
- brown sugar (to taste)
- cracked black pepper (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
- paprika (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the pasta in salted water for about 5 minutes until it is slightly firm but flexible.
- 2
Sear the beef in a large pan with beef fat or olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and cracked black pepper.
- 3
Once the beef is well-seared, remove it from the pan. Add a quarter cup of water to the pan to deglaze, then add tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, and 1 cup of water. Add the pasta, turn off the heat, and stir.
- 4
Cut the potatoes and sprinkle a little salt and pepper on them.
- 5
Line a pot with well-greased parchment paper using olive oil.
- 6
Layer the pasta at the bottom, followed by potatoes, then the beef, and continue layering until the pot is full. Add half a cup of water. Cover the top with parchment paper and close with a lid.
- 7
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius (turbo mode).
- 8
Lower the temperature to 150 degrees Celsius for 4-6 hours, or alternatively, lower to 110 degrees Celsius overnight.
- 9
Serve, enjoy, and bon appétit.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Undercook your pasta to exactly 5 minutes (not al dente) because it will continue cooking for 4-6 hours in the oven, absorbing liquid while maintaining structure through residual starch.timing5 minutes
- ✓Sear beef at high heat (400°F+ pan surface) to develop Maillard reaction compounds, then deglaze immediately with exactly 1/4 cup water to capture fond and prevent burning the caramelized proteins.technique400°F+
- ✓Bloom your tomato paste in the hot pan for 30-60 seconds before adding liquid because heat breaks down cell walls and concentrates umami compounds by 25-30%.technique30-60 seconds
- ✓Use the two-stage oven method: 356°F for 45 minutes to build initial steam pressure, then 302°F for long braise to break down collagen into gelatin without overcooking pasta.timing356°F then 302°F
- ✓Cut potatoes to 1/2-inch thickness maximum because thicker pieces won't cook through during the low-temperature phase, while thinner pieces will disintegrate.technique1/2-inch thickness