Beef and Prune Tagine
This aromatic, slow-cooked stew combines tender beef, sweet prunes, and warming spices to create a dish that's both sophisticated and deeply satisfying.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef chuck cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- 2 large onions finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup pitted prunes
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ cup toasted almonds for garnish optional
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Season the beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large tagine or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Brown the beef in batches until golden on all sides (about 3-4 minutes per batch). Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, reduce heat to medium and sauté onions until softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add all the spices and tomato paste, stirring constantly for 1 minute to release their flavors.
- Return the beef to the pot and add beef broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1.5 hours.
- Add prunes and honey. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes until the beef is fork-tender and the prunes have softened.
- Adjust seasoning to taste and garnish with toasted almonds and fresh cilantro before serving.