CRACKED WHEAT WITH STEWING BEEF (ETLI BULGUR PILAVI)

All the tomatoes I was growing in my backyard turned red all at once this year.  I was thinking about how to use them before they go bad.  I remembered this recipe from my mom's kitchen.  It's been a very long time since I had this dish.  I did not realize how much I missed it.

150 gr stewing beef (cut into small pieces)
2 cups cracked wheat (coarse)
4 cups water
2 Onions
2 tomatoes
1 teaspoon tomato paste
Optional: 1 teaspoon pepper paste
2 cubennella peppers
3 tablespoons cooking oil
salt, red pepper, black pepper

• First get all the ingredients ready.  Chop the onions.  Clean and chop the green  peppers.  Peel and chop the tomatoes
• Put oil in a pot.  Add the onions and stir fry them until soft
• Add in the stewing beef and stir fry all of it together until the beef changes colour.
• Cover, reduce heat and cook until all the juice from the beef is gone.
• Add in tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper paste and water.  I suggest starting with 3 cups of water first as it is not easy to predict how much water different types of bulgur require to cook.  Keep boiled water ready.  You can always add more.
• Bring to boil.  Add seasoning (salt and peppers)
• Add bulgur
• Cover.  Cook at reduced heat until bulgur is soft.  Add more water if required
• Remove from heat.  Let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.