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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Beef, bean and egg hamin

Hamin is a slow baked stew with beef, white beans, barley and eggs. This recipe serves 4, takes 5 hours of cooking but stays easy to make, at a cost of €2.90 per serving. The key to success is the long, covered cooking that tenderizes the meat and turns the eggs a deep brown with a nutty taste.

This Sunday, slide the pot into the oven and forget about it, a beef hamin that simmers for hours until everything turns meltingly tender.

Beef, bean and egg hamin
Total time
5 h
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.90
Calories per person
740 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Hamin is the dish you start before heading out to do something else. The beef turns meltingly tender from hours of slow cooking, the white beans and barley soak up all the juices, and the potatoes end up softening slightly into the thickened broth. The eggs, cooked whole in their shells and nestled on top, turn brown with a creamy texture that surprises you the first time you taste it.

It's a winter Sunday dish, the kind that warms you up without needing any watching over. Kids love peeling their own egg and discovering the beige white inside, almost like a little game. For a family meal or for guests who aren't in a hurry to sit down, Mon Chou suggests this hamin as a Sunday dish that cooks away while you do something else.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Beef chuck or shank 800 g

Pantry

  • Dried white beans 250 g
  • Pearl barleyoften in the pantry 80 g
  • Paprikaoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Honey 1 tbsp
  • Oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes 600 g
  • Onion 2
  • Garlic 4 cloves

Dairy

  • Eggs 4

Allergens Eggs, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. The day before, soak the beans in a large bowl of cold water.

    A pinch of baking soda in the soaking water makes them more tender.

  2. Brown the beef and sliced onions in oil in a pot, then add the garlic, paprika and honey. 12 min

    The honey caramelizes and gives the broth its brown color.

  3. Add the barley, drained beans, potatoes cut into large chunks, salt, pepper and cover with water.

    Go light on the salt, the broth reduces for a long time and concentrates.

  4. Place the well washed eggs on top, seal the pot with parchment paper under the lid, then bake at 120°C. 4 h

    The paper under the lid creates a perfect seal that traps all the steam.

  5. Take the pot out, peel the eggs and serve them with the rest.

    The whites should be beige and creamy, that's the sign the hamin turned out right.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a pot with a tight fitting lid, that's what keeps all the moisture in during the four hours of cooking.
  • If the water level drops too much during cooking, top it up with hot water rather than cold so you don't interrupt the cooking process.
  • Let the pot rest for ten minutes out of the oven before serving, the broth thickens a bit more as it cools slightly.

The variations

  • Swap the beef chuck for lamb shoulder for a stronger flavor, the cooking time stays the same.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the beef and double the beans and barley, the dish keeps its tender texture.
  • For a quicker version for kids, make it in a pressure cooker instead, about 1 hour under pressure instead of 4 hours in the oven.

What to serve it with

  • A cucumber and fresh tomato salad
  • Pita bread for dipping
  • Mint tea

Storage

Hamin keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well, though it's best to cook the eggs fresh each time rather than freezing them. Reheat gently on the stove or in the oven, adding a splash of water if the broth has thickened too much.

Questions about this dish

Can you replace the pearl barley with rice?

Yes, but rice cooks faster and can turn mushy after several hours. If you swap it in, add the rice only during the last two hours of cooking.

Do you need to soak the white beans overnight?

Yes, it's essential so they cook evenly and hold their shape. Without soaking, they'll stay tough even after hours in the oven.

Can you make hamin ahead of time?

You can prep the pot up to the point before it goes in the oven and keep it in the fridge overnight. Let it come to room temperature before baking for even cooking.

Why are the eggs cooked in their shells?

The shell protects the egg during the four hours of cooking and lets the white turn a uniquely creamy texture. It's the trapped steam under the parchment paper that slowly browns the white.

How long does it take to make a beef hamin with beans and eggs?

Count 5 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a beef hamin with beans and eggs?

About 740 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a beef hamin with beans and eggs cost?

About €2.90 per serving, or €11.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains eggs, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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