Moroccan Beef Casserole.
With Rosh HaShana just round the corner, it's a time to think of menu planning, whereas favourites such as honey cake and tzimmes are go to Ashkenazy family favourites, the rich flavours of Moroccan spices are a wonderful way to get in touch with I did enjoy the Sephardi heritage that most of us have a little of.
The main spices in Moroccan cuisine are turmeric, ginger, black pepper, cumin, saffron, coriander, paprika, which create warmth but not heat as in a Curry, Moroccan food mixes sweet and savoury, it is always easy to prepare and often slow cooked,
This casserole can be cooked on top of the cooker in the oven or in a slow cooker, and it will add an interesting dimension to your Yom Tov meal, you can choose to serve it with cuscus or rice.
Ingredients serve 6-8.
1 kilo stewing Beef (Chuck Steak)
2 onions peeled and chopped or diced.
3 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped.
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil for frying
4 carrots peeled and sliced.
half a teaspoon cinnamon
half a teaspoon turmeric
half a teaspoon of ground black pepper
one teaspoon of ground cumin
one teaspoon ground coriander
half a teaspoon of allspice
1 1/2 inches of fresh ginger peeled and chopped finally.
8 whole dried apricots,
a tablespoon of tomato paste
1 glass of red wine
1 teaspoon of sea salt
half a litre of good quality beef chicken or vegetable stock
quarter a cup of chopped fresh coriander.
quarter cup of fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
Method
Put the oil in a heavy bottom pan preferably a Dutch oven, with a lid add the beef and sear it on all sides till it is brown, take the beef out of the pan and set it aside on the plate, and put the onions into the oil and cook them on a medium heat until they are translucent.
Place the dried apricots in about half a cup of warm water to rehydrate them, then cut them in quarters.
Add the ginger and the carrots to the onions, then Add all the seasonings turn the heat down to a low to medium, and with a wooden spoon stir the spices so they don't stick but their flavours have been released, this takes about a minute or two.
Use the red wine to deglaze the pan mixing in all the spices to the wine and removing them from the bottom of the pot, then add the tomato paste, the stock. And return the beef to the cooking pot. Add the apricots & the fresh coriander.
If you're cooking this on top of the stove close the lid and cook on a medium heat for about an hour and a half to two hours
if you're cooking it in a slow cooker transfer everything into the slow cooker and cook on medium or automatic for six to eight hours, this is my preferred way of cooking this because then you can prepare the meal in the morning and leave it for the evening.
if you're cooking this in the oven play Preheat the oven to 160C 340 F Gas 4 make sure the lid to your casserole dish is firmly shut and cook for 2 1/2 hours
before serving sprinkle with the fresh flat leaf parsley and serve with either couscous or rice.
I can guarantee although this is a very simple dish to prepare the aromas will make your family Or guests think it is a very exotic and complex dish!