Moroccan cuisine · Soups & Stews

Tajine Zitoun bel Begri

Beef braised with green olives and preserved lemon until the sauce turns salty-fruity and thick.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g beef stew meat
• 150 g green olives
• 1 preserved lemon
• 2 onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 pinch saffron threads
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Pit the olives and blanch them in boiling water for 5 min to reduce their saltiness; quarter the preserved lemon, remove the flesh and cut the peel into thin strips.
2. Finely dice the onions, finely chop the garlic, and coarsely chop the cilantro and parsley together.
3. Heat the olive oil in a braising pot, sear the beef on all sides for 6–8 min, then add the onions and garlic and sauté for 4 min until translucent.
4. Add the turmeric, ginger and the saffron threads soaked in 3 tbsp hot water, pour in 500 ml water, season lightly with salt and pepper, and braise covered for 90 min over gentle heat.
5. Stir in the olives, preserved lemon strips and half the herbs, and continue cooking uncovered for 20–25 min until the meat falls apart and the sauce has reduced to about a third.
6. Season only with pepper – the preserved lemon already salts the dish – sprinkle with the remaining herbs and serve directly in the tagine.