Moroccan Beef Tagine with Prunes and Almonds

About This Recipe

The tagine is both the earthenware conical pot and the slow-braised dish cooked within it — one of the iconic cooking vessels of human civilization, perfected in the Berber and Arab kitchens of Morocco over many centuries. A beef tagine with prunes (مرقة اللحم بالبرقوق) is one of the most celebratory preparations: the tough, collagen-rich beef slowly transforms over two hours into fork-tender morsels bathed in a deeply aromatic sauce that blends the sweet (prunes, honey, cinnamon) with the savory (onions, ginger, ras el hanout) in a way that is characteristic of Moroccan-Andalusian cooking, with its Moorish heritage of balancing sweetness and spice. The almonds, toasted separately in butter until golden, are added at the very end for textural contrast. Served in the tagine itself at the center of the table with Moroccan bread (khobz) for scooping, the dish commands attention both visually and aromatically.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 900 gbeef chuck or shin, cut into 4 cm cubes
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 2 largeonions, grated or very finely diced
• 4 clovesgarlic, minced
• 1 tspground ginger
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 1 tspras el hanout
• 0.5 tspground turmeric
• 0.5 tspground black pepper
• 1 tspfine salt
• 1 pinchsaffron threads(bloomed in 3 tbsp warm water)
• 400 mlwater or beef stock
• 200 gdried pitted prunes
• 2 tbsphoney
• 0.5 tspground cinnamon(extra, for the prunes)
• 80 gblanched almonds
• 2 tbspbutter
• 1 tbsptoasted sesame seeds(for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the beef

   Season beef cubes with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a tagine or heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches until deeply colored on all sides. Remove and set aside.

   Do not crowd the pan — crowding causes steaming, not browning.

2. 2

   Build the base

   In the same pot, add onions and cook over medium heat 8 minutes until soft and golden. Add garlic, ginger, cinnamon, ras el hanout, and turmeric; cook 2 minutes until fragrant.

3. 3

   Braise

   Return beef to the pot. Add saffron water and enough stock to come halfway up the meat. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover tightly, and cook over the lowest heat 1.5–2 hours until beef is very tender.

4. 4

   Prepare the prunes

   In a small saucepan, combine prunes with honey, extra cinnamon, and 100 ml water. Simmer gently 10 minutes until the prunes are plump and glazed in a syrupy sauce.

5. 5

   Toast almonds

   Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add blanched almonds and fry, stirring, until golden — about 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.

6. 6

   Combine and reduce

   When beef is tender, add the glazed prunes and their syrup to the pot. Stir gently. If the sauce is very thin, simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes until it thickens to a glossy consistency.

7. 7

   Garnish and serve

   Transfer to a warm tagine or serving dish. Scatter toasted almonds and sesame seeds over the top. Serve with Moroccan khobz or couscous.

Variations

• •

  Lamb tagine: replace beef with bone-in lamb shoulder pieces; reduce cooking time to 90 minutes.

• •

  Chicken tagine with preserved lemon and olives: entirely different spice profile; add preserved lemon rind and cracked green olives 20 minutes before the end.

• •

  Vegetarian tagine: use chickpeas and root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, turnips) with the same spice base.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days — the flavor improves significantly overnight as the spices meld. Reheat gently covered over low heat, adding a splash of water if needed. Freezes well for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions