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This buckwheat and beef pilaf is a play on traditional rice plov, but I think I like it even more! The meat is fall-apart tender and you’ll be running to refill your plate.
This dish is hearty, flavorful, and a must try. Using toasted buckwheat is nutritious and adds a completely different flavor profile. Buckwheat plov was my husband’s creative genius. Vadim, I just wish you had thought of it sooner! 😉 Also, it pairs well with pickles; #sold.
You may use a variety of beef for this recipe, but you do want some marbeling/fat in the meat for best results. The meat in the photograph below is a chuck roast that I purchased at Costco – I trimmed quite a bit of the fat off.
Ingredients for Buckwheat Plov:
1/3 cup olive oil
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 large onion, diced
1 to 1 1/4 lbs beef (chuck, sirloin or good quality stew meat), trimmed of extra fat and cut into 1/2″ to 3/4″ thick pieces
3 large carrots, julienned
2.5 cups buckwheat groats (aka grechka)
4 1/4 cups cold filtered water + 1 cup hot water
2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste (I use sea salt)
1 tsp cumin spice to taste
1 full head of unpeeled garlic
How to make Buckwheat and Beef Pilaf:
1. Set a large heavy-bottomed stock pot or dutch oven (ours is 5 1/2 Qt) over medium/high heat and add 1/3 cup olive oil and 4 Tbsp butter. Add onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until softened (about 5 min).
2. Add cubed beef and sauté 5 min, turning once (beef will not be fully cooked). Add julienned (click here to see the handy slicer we use) carrots and stir another minute.
3. Add 4 1/4 cups cold water and season with 1 tsp cumin, 2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and cook 1 hour (you should hear the faint simmer when your lid is on).
4. Meanwhile (about 10 min before your timer is up), heat a large non-stick skillet over medium/high heat and melt in 4 Tbsp butter. Add 2 1/2 cups buckwheat and toast until golden, stirring often (3-5 min). Pour buckwheat into the pot in an even layer and gently pour enough hot water to cover buckwheat 1/2″ above the level of the buckwheat (I added 1 cup hot water).
5. Cut (using a sharp knife) garlic head in half and place over the top of buckwheat, cut-side-down, pushing down into the buckwheat slightly. Cook uncovered over medium heat until most of the liquid boils out (10 min).
6. Poke 8-10 holes through the buckwheat to allow steam to escape to the surface, then cover with lid, reduce heat to the lowest setting and let pot sit another 30 minutes. Remove garlic and stir everything gently to combine. P.S. The garlic cloves are perfectly edible – you can squeeze them easily out of their skins and serve them in the pilaf if you wish.
Did I mention the meat is T-E-N-D-E-R?
Buckwheat and Beef Pilaf (Plov)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 to 1 1/4 lbs beef, chuck, sirloin or good quality stew meat, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2" to 3/4" thick pieces
- 3 large carrots, julienned
- 2.5 cups buckwheat groats, aka grechka
- 4 1/4 cups cold filtered water + 1 cup hot water
- 2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste (I use sea salt)
- 1 tsp cumin spice to taste
- 1 full head of unpeeled garlic
Instructions
- Set a large heavy-bottomed stock pot or dutch oven over medium/high heat and add 1/3 cup olive oil and 4 Tbsp butter. Add onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until softened (about 5 min).
- Add cubed beef and sauté 5 min, turning once (beef will not be fully cooked). Add julienned carrots and stir another minute.
- Add 4 1/4 cups cold water and season with 1 tsp cumin, 2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and cook 1 hour.
- Meanwhile (about 10 min before your timer is up), heat a large non-stick skillet over medium/high heat and melt in 4 Tbsp butter. Add 2 1/2 cups buckwheat and toast until golden, stirring often (3-5 min). Pour buckwheat into the pot in an even layer and gently pour enough hot water to cover buckwheat 1/2" above the level of the buckwheat (I added 1 cup hot water).
- Cut garlic head in half parallel to the base to expose cloves and place over the top of buckwheat, cut-sides-down, pushing into the buckwheat slightly. Cook uncovered over med heat until most of the surface liquid boils out (10 min).
- Poke 8-10 holes through the buckwheat to allow steam to escape to the surface, then cover with lid, reduce heat to the lowest setting and let pot sit another 30 minutes. Remove garlic and stir everything gently to combine. P.S. you can squeeze garlic cloves out of their skins and serve them in the pilaf if you wish.
I hope you put this on your menu for the week!
