Jordy's Legendary Poyke from Our Community Table
Cristyne Porile shares a recipe from Yarden (Jordy) Buskila z"l, whose father, Shimon Buskila, visiting our community last month as part of our Yom Ha'atzmaut Celebration
Greetings, Our Community Table Readers!
Today I offer you a very special recipe shared with our community as part of a father’s creation of legacy for his son. Some of you may recall the Israeli guests who were invited to our Israel Independence Day celebration. All three had compelling stories and challenging experiences to share, but for me, one in particular offered a remarkable lesson in living.
I am referring to Shimon Buskila, whose son, Yarden (Jordy) z’’l, was killed at the NOVA music festival on October 7th. Shimon spoke of many things that afternoon, but the one that most stood out for me was the conscious choice he and his family made, the intentional life choice to step into the light and celebrate his son’s life as the blessing it was rather than to remain in the easier-by-far place of isolation and sadness. He told us that instead of leaving his son’s bedroom untouched, unentered, the family, together, turned Jordy’s room into a bright colorful living space where children and grandchildren could play and laugh and say his name with love. Jordy was twenty-five when he was killed, and incredibly, Shimon and his family have created a beautiful garden space with twenty-five mosaic benches, one to honor each year of Jordy’s life, each one handmade, the mosaics reflective of things that were special to Jordy. There is a fire pit where one could possibly make poyke, and a beautiful garden with plantings all around, open for people to visit and enjoy. Just extraordinary.
And then, there is this precious recipe, Jordy’s Poyke, which Shimon so generously shared with our community. This recipe was something Jordy often made and was known for by his friends and family—his signature dish.
So, what is poyke? According to Tablet Magazine in May 2024:
The name “poyke” comes from Afrikaans “potjiekos,” the literal translation being “small, round pot.” Originally, Dutch settlers would carry these cast iron pots in their caravans and wagons as they travelled. They could allow the poyke to cook slowly, unattended, while they made camp. It didn’t require much fuel, and it was portable. It was an efficient way to cook when camping and travelling. It later became commonplace in South African homes, cooked outdoors over charcoal or wood, often for many guests. South African Jews immigrating to Israel in the 1980s and ’90s brought these pots, or “potjiekos” and their traditions with them. Poyke quickly became a staple of any campfire. Whether it was rebellious teenagers on a kibbutz sneaking beers from their parents, or soldiers spending long weeks in the field, poyke was central as it required little attention, almost no culinary knowledge, and most significantly, poyke brings people together.
I have modified this recipe slightly for ease of use, first by cutting it in half, as the full recipe (which can be found in its original version here) would probably have served 16 people. And then by ever so slightly adjusting the meat quantities. I also had to do a bit of ingredient sleuthing. What Israeli’s call “sweet chili,” I at first thought was sweet paprika—but with the help of Omer Karavani, Judy Sassler & Shoshana Feferman, I discovered this was, in fact, not paprika but “Thai sweet chili sauce” that can easily be found on most grocer’s shelves. And thank goodness…because I’m pretty sure the paprika would have been disastrous! I have also included an easy-to-make recipe for the common Middle Eastern spice blend known as Hawaij (the soup blend—not the coffee blend), as I could not find it for sale in any of our local stores.
I found this recipe to be delicious. It can be modified to your liking—made with only vegetables, or additional vegetables, or chicken instead of beef, or potatoes instead of rice… And, of course, I made this in a conventional Dutch Oven on my indoor stove top…not on some majestic campfire’s bed of whispering embers. But one day, I might try that too.
It is a privilege to be able to share a part of the legacy being created for a remarkable young man, Jordy Buskila z’’l, along with the life lessons shared by his father, Shimon and family, who I will certainly think of whenever I make this very special heritage recipe.
Jordan’s Legendary Poyke
(A Galilean Campfire Beef Stew by Jordan Buskila z’’l)
Serves 10-12
INGREDIENTS
4–6 Tablespoons olive oil
4 ½ pounds short ribs/Flanked (option to remove bones before cooking) or 2 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck (cut into 1 ½-inch cubes). If using kosher meat, do not add salt to the meat. If using non-koshered meat, season meat with a generous pinch or two of kosher salt before searing.
2 large yellow onions, cut half lengthwise and then into thick slices (½ -inch wide)
1 ½ heads of garlic, (15 cloves) peeled but left whole, can slightly crush if desired.
½ -1 bunch cilantro (washed, dried, chopped and divided into 2 equal parts)
½-1 bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley (washed, dried, chopped and divided into 2 equal parts)
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into ½ -inch coins
¾ cup (generous pour) red wine (can be dry or sweet—your preference)
1small kohlrabi, peeled and cut into ½ -inch wedges
2-3 large stalks celery, cleaned, dried, and cut into ½-inch slices
½-1 hot green pepper (like a serrano, or jalapeño), top cut off but left whole
2 bay leaves
25 grams Hawaij for soup (4 Tablespoons) **you can purchase this spice blend ready-made or use the Ottolenghi recipe below**. Be sure to get the one for soup and not for coffee!
¼ cup Thai Sweet Chili sauce or Korean Sweet Chili sauce (red, in a bottle)
¾ Tablespoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound plus 4 Tablespoons rice
Pine nuts (to taste & optional)
Cashew nuts (to taste & optional)
Raisins (to taste & optional)
*Boiling water to be added almost to the height of the meat and vegetables after frying*
DIRECTIONS
In a 7-quart Dutch Oven on a conventional stove top, a hanging Poyke pot (size 4) hung over a campfire, or a Poyke pot (size 4) set on its legs over “whispering” coals:
Place 4–6 Tablespoons of olive oil into pot and warm over a medium high heat. Add the meat and sear until well browned.
Remove meat to a large bowl and set aside if using a Dutch oven on a conventional stove top. If using a traditional Poyke pot over a campfire, keep meat in the pot and add next ingredients.
Add the sliced onions and sauté until they begin to caramelize. Next, add the carrots and celery and sauté for a few minutes to soften.
Add the garlic cloves and the hot green pepper and sauté for about 2 minutes.
Return the meat to the pot at this point and pour the wine into the pot, allowing it to boil and reduce just a bit with the meat and vegetables.
Next, add the rest of the vegetables, the kohlrabi, the green chili pepper, ½ of the parsley, ½ of the cilantro, and all the spices. Stir for a minute or two to let the flavors blend.
Now, add the boiling water—to just below the level of the meat and vegetables. Bring all to a boil then turn the heat down until the pot is at a very low simmer, cover pot with a tight-fitting lid, and continue to simmer on a very low heat for about 2 ½-3 hours.
After the 2 ½-3 hours, remove the lid and add the rice and remaining parsley and cilantro, stirring gently to incorporate. At this time, you may also add additions such as pine nuts, cashews, or raisins, if using, and to taste.
Replace the lid on the pot and continue to simmer on a very low heat for another 30 minutes or so (just until the rice is cooked through).
Carefully remove from the heat and enjoy.
This dish has many as many variations as campfires. This version is the one Jordan Busilik was famous for. But as with all recipes, it is a guide… add or remove what you like and don’t like. If you prefer chicken, make it with chicken and switch to white wine. You can make this with lamb, or oxtails, or a combination of meat. The same with the vegetables. You can’t find kohlrabi—use a turnip. Add mushrooms or green beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini—it’s your campfire stew. Add what your family likes. Just add the vegetables such as whole baby potatoes, or cubed sweet potatoes maybe after an hour and a half of cooking, and the zucchini, perhaps after 2 hours. Softer vegetables will break down into mush if cooked for the full 2 ½-3 hours, so use your judgment when adding the ingredients.
Yotam Ottolenghi’s Hawaij for Soup
Makes approximately ¼ cup (4 Tablespoons)
2 Tablespoons whole coriander seeds
4 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
4 whole cloves
16 whole cardamom pods crushed to remove the inner seeds, husks discarded
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric.
Put the coriander and cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom, and fenugreek into a small frying pan and toast for about 5 minutes over a medium-high heat, shaking pan from time to time.
Let cool and blitz in a spice grinder into a smooth powder. Stir in turmeric and set aside.