Sumagiyya — Jordanian Meat, Sumac, Chickpea, and Chard Stew

Place the dried sumac in 700 ml lukewarm water and let it soak. Then rub and squeeze it by hand, and strain through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. You should have a deep burgundy, distinctly tart liquid; this is the cooking broth. Discard the solids.

Pat the meat dry with paper towels; wet meat steams rather than browns. Heat half the olive oil in a pot and sear the meat in batches, without crowding the pot, until browned on all sides.

Wash the chard. Cut the thick stems into 1 cm pieces and the leaves into 2 cm strips. Add the stems first and cook for 5 minutes, then add the leaves and cook for 4 minutes. The chard should wilt and turn dark green while retaining some body.

Whisk the tahini and flour together in a bowl. Gradually add the strained sumac liquid to make a smooth slurry. Temper it by whisking in a ladleful of hot liquid from the pot, then pour the mixture into the pot. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; tahini will sink and scorch if left unstirred.

Add the cooked chickpeas, crushed garlic, dill seeds, hot red pepper powder, and salt. Simmer over low heat for 8 minutes, until the stew is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and let it cool until warm before serving.