Slow-Cooked Beef Tagine
It's cold, it's November, it's time to slow cook some beef! This recipe draws on North African flavours, including the gorgeous Morrocan spice mix Ras El Hanout. Roughly translated, it means "head of the shop" in Arabic, so it contains the best spices the seller has to offer.
Not only beautifully spiced, the beef is meltingly soft and deliciously tender - it will fall apart at the touch of a spoon. Rather untraditionally, I served mine with mashed potatoes and greens because I was in the mood for full-on comfort food but feel free to swap these for couscous or rice, if you like.
Slow-Cooked Beef Tagine
Serves 6-8
1kg stewing beef chunks
2 onions, roughly chopped
small handful fresh parsley
olive oil
2 x 400g tin of chickpeas
2 x 400g tin of plum tomatoes
800ml organic vegetable stock
800g butternut squash, cut into 3cm cubes
200g prunes, stones removed then roughly chopped
2 ttbsp almonds, roughly chopped
Spice Rub:
1 tbsp ras el hanout spice mix
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp sweet paprika
Mix all the spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl with a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Put the beef into a large bowl, massage it with the spice rub, then cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for a couple of hours, preferably overnight.
When you’re ready to cook, heat a generous lug of oil in a casserole pan over a medium-high heat, add the meat and fry for 5 minutes to seal. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add a little more oil, if need, then add the onion and parsley stalks and fry for 10 minutes until softened. Drain and tip in the chickpeas, followed by the tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon. Add the meat back to the pan then pour in 400ml of stock and stir well. Bring to the boil, then cover and reduce to a low heat for 1½ hours.
Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a dry frying pan until lightly golden, then tip into a bowl. When the time's up on the stew, add the squash, prunes and remaining stock. Give everything a gentle stir, then pop the lid back on and continue cooking for another 1½ hours. Keep an eye on it, adding splashes of water, if needed. At this stage, remove the lid and check the consistency. If it seems a bit too runny, simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, more with the lid off – the beef should be really tender and flaking apart now, so have a taste and season to taste.
Scatter the parsley leaves over the tagine along with the toasted almonds. Serve with seasonal greens and mashed potato, if you like.
Not only beautifully spiced, the beef is meltingly soft and deliciously tender - it will fall apart at the touch of a spoon. Rather untraditionally, I served mine with mashed potatoes and greens because I was in the mood for full-on comfort food but feel free to swap these for couscous or rice, if you like.
Slow-Cooked Beef Tagine
Serves 6-8
1kg stewing beef chunks2 onions, roughly chopped
small handful fresh parsley
olive oil
2 x 400g tin of chickpeas
2 x 400g tin of plum tomatoes
800ml organic vegetable stock
800g butternut squash, cut into 3cm cubes
200g prunes, stones removed then roughly chopped
2 ttbsp almonds, roughly chopped
Spice Rub:
1 tbsp ras el hanout spice mix
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp sweet paprika
Mix all the spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl with a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Put the beef into a large bowl, massage it with the spice rub, then cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for a couple of hours, preferably overnight.
When you’re ready to cook, heat a generous lug of oil in a casserole pan over a medium-high heat, add the meat and fry for 5 minutes to seal. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add a little more oil, if need, then add the onion and parsley stalks and fry for 10 minutes until softened. Drain and tip in the chickpeas, followed by the tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon. Add the meat back to the pan then pour in 400ml of stock and stir well. Bring to the boil, then cover and reduce to a low heat for 1½ hours.
Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a dry frying pan until lightly golden, then tip into a bowl. When the time's up on the stew, add the squash, prunes and remaining stock. Give everything a gentle stir, then pop the lid back on and continue cooking for another 1½ hours. Keep an eye on it, adding splashes of water, if needed. At this stage, remove the lid and check the consistency. If it seems a bit too runny, simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, more with the lid off – the beef should be really tender and flaking apart now, so have a taste and season to taste.
Scatter the parsley leaves over the tagine along with the toasted almonds. Serve with seasonal greens and mashed potato, if you like.
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