If you enjoy mixing sweet and savory, don’t let the name intimidate you. This is a hearty and comforting beef stew inspired by the flavors of northern Africa. Because Morocco is situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, Moroccan food is influenced by a mix of Arab and southern European flavors. This stew combines common Moroccan spices, like cinnamon and cumin, with dried fruits — raisins and apricots — for an international twist on beef stew.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 80 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat or chuck roast cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 inches fresh ginger
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 cup red wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (adjust to your taste preference)
- 1 cup dry lentils
- 7 whole dried apricots
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1 cup dry couscous
Cook’s Tip: You could easily swap out the lentils for chickpeas or another bean. If switching to a canned bean, just reduce the beef broth amount by half. Likewise, you could serve the stew over rice rather than couscous.
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, combine beef, ½ tsp of salt and pepper, cornstarch and baking soda so each piece of beef is coated in the mixture. This helps the meat retain moisture while it cooks.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot (shimmering, not smoking), add the beef. Turn pieces to sear all sides, cooking the beef until it is well browned on the outside.
- While the beef is cooking, chop your vegetables. Dice the onion, mince the garlic. Scrape the skin off the ginger with a spoon, then grate about 2 inches using a cheese grater or finely chop. Add the onion, garlic and ginger to the pot with the beef and cook until tender (about 5 minutes).
- Add the cumin and cinnamon to the pot. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. Add the red wine or beef broth to deglaze the bottom of the pot.
- Add the tomato paste, honey, crushed red pepper and salt. Give everything a good stir to dissolve the tomato paste.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the lentils, stir to incorporate and cover the lentils in liquid. Return the lid and cook for 30 minutes.
- Stir the stew and add in your rough chopped apricots and raisins. Cook uncovered for another 10 minutes to allow the stew to thicken.
- While the stew thickens, prepare the couscous according to package instructions.
- Remove the stew from heat, stir and serve over a bed of couscous.
