Tagine style beef with couscous
This can be made ahead of time in the oven or a slow cooker. Simply reheat while the couscous is steaming, for a fragrant exotic meal that's super simple to serve.
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
- 600g beef rump, cubed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, cut in wedges
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 tablespoon ras al hanout (or 1 teaspoon each ground cumin, coriander and cinnamon)
- 500 ml beef stock
- 100g fresh dates
- 1 x 400g can chick peas, drained and rinsed
- fresh coriander
- steamed couscous to serve
Method
- Heat the oven to 150ºC (or you can use a slow cooker).
- Heat half the oil in a frying pan and brown the beef then place in a oven proof casserole dish or slow cooker and set aside.
- In the remaining oil cook the onions and celery with a little salt over a medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ras el hanout (or spices) and cook for 2 more minutes. Put this mixture in the casserole or slow cooker. Add the beef stock and cover.
- Cook in the oven for 2½ hours or in the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.
- Stir in the chickpeas and dates in the last half hour of oven cooking or last hour in the slow cooker. (If you want to thicken the sauce, remove the meat etc. from the pot and bring the juices to the boil and reduce to desired consistency, then add the meat back.)
- Serve with fresh coriander and couscous.
Add more:
• serve with yoghurt combined with harissa for extra spice
• use diced lamb pieces instead of beef
• chopped preserved lemon with the dates
Wine match:
A warm, fragrant Pinot Noir with fruit and spice flavours of its own… the Oyster Bay
Marlborough Pinot Noir is ideal.