Beef Tagine with Dried Plums

For years I've held that traditional cultures understand natural meats far better than we do.   Mexico quickly grills marinated beef for fajitas.  China stir fries steak in a flash.  And Morocco slowly roasts its tagine over a charcoal fire.  I recently enjoyed a meal at the Imperial Fez restaurant in Atlanta and fell in love with their traditional Marrakech dishes, slow cooked in small, portable ovens called tagine.  The beef was so tender it fell apart.  I created this recipe to work in a western kitchen but to retain the sweet and spicy flavors of Morocco. 

Ingredients:

·       2lbs lean Grass-fed beef (this can be stew meat, round or sirloin steak,  ie round or rump roast) cut into 1 inch cubes.

·       1 tsp. Kosher salt or to your taste

·      ½ tsp black pepper

·      1 ½ tsp. Ras el Hanout (or Garam Masala spice mix available at most grocery stores or Indian stores)

·      1 ½ tsp. ground Cumin

·      2 ½ tsp. ground Cinnamon

·      2 tsp. ground Ginger

·      1 ½ tsp. ground sweet paprika

·      1 tsp. ground Turmeric

·      2 cloves of garlic, minced

·       Olive oil

·      1 roughly chopped onion

·      1 15 oz. can of drained chickpeas

·      1 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes (Fire roasted tomatoes from Muir Glen add a hint of the charcoal used to make traditional Tagines)

·      2 cups water

·      1 medium sweet potato cut into 1inch chunks

·      1 red bell pepper roughly chopped

·      1 2 chopped, dried plums

Garnish

        Blend the ingredients for the Garnish up to 1 day in advance to allow the flavors to develop.  Keep chilled           in the refrigerator until time to serve.

 

·        a small bunch of chopped, fresh mint (about 6 stems)

·      a small bunch of chopped, fresh cilantro (about 12 stems)

·      1 cup of Greek yogurt

Bread

            Any Middle Eastern flat bread such as pita or naan can be heated and served with this dish. 

 

 

 

Cooking Directions

Marinate the meat in salt, pepper, spices and garlic for 2 hours to overnight.

Pre-heat a large, oven-safe, lidded pot/dutch oven over a medium heat for about 2 minutes

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Add meat and spice mixture and allow to brown slightly

Add onions, chickpeas, water, dried plums and tomatoes

Bring stew to a gently simmer on the stove top

Cover with the lid and transfer the  pot to a 250 degree oven for 3 hours

1 ½ hours into the cooking process, add the sweet potato and red bell pepper and return to the oven for another 1 ½ hours

Serve the Tagine over couscous or rice,  topped with a big dollop of the yogurt sauce.  Also serve the warmed flat bread.