Acorns, the nuts from oak trees, have been a staple to California’s Native American diet for thousands of years. For many tribes, it was the most important plant food and more than 10 species of acorns were harvested. After gathering the nuts, they were dried in the sun before being ground into flour. The bitter tasting tannin was leached out by pouring water over the flour with special basins used for this step, which took hours to complete. Mush, stews, soups, and breads can all be made with the small nut, and California Indians still use acorns in their food today. This simple stew recipe shows how acorns accent meat and work as a thickening agent.
Recipe Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 lb stewing beef
- ½ cup finely ground acorn meal
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Place the beef in a pot and add water until it covers the meat.
- Cover the pot, and simmer until meat is very tender, 1½–2 hours.
- Remove meat from liquid using a slotted spoon and cut into fine pieces.
- Return meat to liquid, and stir in acorn meal.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Simmer soup until thickened, about 25–35 minutes.
- Serve hot.
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