This Moroccan Beef Stew Is Bursting With Greens

As a London-based Moroccan chef, I take into account myself well-versed in each European and Moroccan cuisines, and as a lot as I really like the extra conventional approaches to every, I’ve plenty of enjoyable mixing these approaches. It is precisely what I’ve carried out within the beef stew recipe right here, which is multi-layered and heady with out being too heavy. This interpretation of beef stew combines Western stewing methods with a few of my favourite flavors of Moroccan delicacies: tender chunks of beef stewed with contemporary collard greens, chickpeas, and aromatic ras el hanout. It isn’t a dish that is purely Moroccan or European, however a combination of each.

Why This Moroccan Stew is Not a Tagine

To be clear, this recipe is a stew and never a tagine. Each a tagine and a stew are slow-cooked braises, and there might be plenty of overlap with the phrases. For somebody much less accustomed to Moroccan meals, they may assume {that a} recipe for beef seared and simmered with Moroccan spices like ras el hanout needs to be labeled a tagine. However for Moroccans, this recipe would by no means be thought-about a tagine, and never simply because it isn’t ready within the distinctive cone-shaped pot often known as a tagine (it is quite common for Moroccans to organize tagines with out utilizing the basic clay tagines at dwelling). This stew would not be thought-about a tagine as a result of tagines made in Morocco comply with guidelines that aren’t used on this recipe, a number of of which I’m itemizing right here: 

• A tagine begins with an onion-and-garlic base that’s sautéed in olive oil and/or butter.
• For meat-based tagines, bigger bone-in cuts of meat are used.
• Meat in a tagine is rarely browned. 
• Ras el hanout is barely used for a selected sort of tagine known as mrouzia (lamb with raisins, almonds, and honey), and wouldn’t be paired with beef in a tagine.
• Tomato paste is barely utilized in tomato-based tagines.
• A tagine that incorporates greens, like collard greens used right here, would sometimes be cooked the m’qualli method (with floor turmeric and floor ginger) and by no means with ras el hanout.

In fact, “guidelines” are made to be damaged, and one would possibly argue that some recipes that defy a number of of the above might nonetheless be thought-about a tagine. Within the case of this recipe, although, I am breaking so many guidelines and adopting so many others from Western cooking that I would not name this recipe a tagine, and I am fairly positive most others who’re educated about Moroccan delicacies would agree.

Steps for a Flavorful Moroccan-Fashion Beef Stew

So why break from Moroccan tagine traditions, and apply Moroccan flavors to a stew? It’s just because I really like this mix of flavors. To me, this recipe is a basic stew to which I’ve added ras el hanout for an fragrant Moroccan aptitude, and its success comes down to a couple flavor-building and texture-enhancing methods:

• Brown the meat: In a Moroccan tagine, the meat wouldn’t be browned, however for my stew I brown the meat chunks on all sides over excessive warmth to type a caramelized crust earlier than braising. The rationale why tagines don’t brown the meat probably stems from performance: Tagines are historically clay pots set over decrease warmth to make sure the pot isn’t broken. The instrument itself restricted browning and made it a much less vital aspect of that model of cooking.

  There’s additionally the truth that you get extra tenderness when you do not brown (as a result of browning dehydrates the floor of the meat), and there is a lot flavor-building taking place elsewhere in most moroccan tagines (spices, preserved lemon, and so on.) that the deep roasted flavors of the Maillard response may very well be deprioritized over tenderness and a extra clear, clear taste profile. However on this stew, I really like how the broth is enriched with a deep, savory taste from browning the meat, and the way that taste pairs with the aromatic spices of ras el hanout.

• Create a flavorful fragrant base: This stew’s fragrant base is the place nearly all of its taste comes from. The ras el hanout spice mix, tomato paste, and garlic are added to sautéed onions to briefly infuse into the rendered beef fats. Blooming the spices in fats earlier than including the liquid permits the total complexity of the ras el hanout to come back via, spreading its fat-soluble floral, earthy, and warming taste molecules all through. I additionally add only a teaspoon of honey to stability the extraordinary taste from the meat and spices, and simmer a cilantro bundle with the stew to boost its Moroccan taste profile. 
• Simmer slowly: This can be a key cooking step for any meat stew. A gradual, mild simmer ensures that the meat chuck’s robust connective tissue has an opportunity to interrupt down and soften till fork-tender. I selected to simmer on the stovetop, avoiding the necessity to raise a giant, heavy pot of scorching liquid out and in of the oven (although you might braise it in a moderately-low oven, if desired). Simply be sure that to periodically verify on the pot, and alter the burner setting to keep up a simmer, whereas avoiding scorching the underside.
• Add shiny taste and heartiness with contemporary greens and beans: The ultimate additions brighten up the stew and make it extra filling: contemporary collard greens and canned chickpeas. They’re added after the meat has simmered for hours, and cooked simply lengthy sufficient to wilt and tenderize the greens whereas retaining some freshness. I really like how these closing vegetable additions stability the richness of the stew whereas conserving it hearty.

Ras el Hanout: The Key to This Stew’s Taste

On the coronary heart of this deeply fragrant stew is ras el hanout, a signature Moroccan spice mix. The identify ras el hanout interprets to “head of the store” in Arabic and refers back to the greatest spices a spice service provider has to supply. Though there is no such thing as a single recipe for ras el hanout—as every spice vendor has their very own variation—it sometimes consists of a mixture of floor cinnamon, coriander, cumin, ginger, and typically even rose petals or saffron. This fragrant and sophisticated mix provides this stew welcome depth and heat.

Whereas as soon as troublesome to seek out exterior North Africa, ras el hanout is now extra broadly out there at spice retailers and a few large-scale grocery shops all through the US, bringing its particular mixture of aromatic and earthy notes to dwelling kitchens in all places, although it is also simple to make your personal. 

This stew’s thrilling mixture of hearty beef, heat spices, and shiny contemporary greens make it a fantastic meal for any time of yr, however I particularly take pleasure in it throughout the shoulder season main into spring. I like to recommend serving it for household gatherings and particular events with bread, couscous and even rice.

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