Beef & Apricot Tagine
A tagine sounds more exotic than a mom living in the suburbs of Tennessee would have on her dinner table. That’s what is so lovely about American food culture though. We have such a melting pot of heritage and tradition mingled with an insatiable appetite for trying new things that nothing is off limits. I reject the notion that cooking food (imperfectly) from other cultures is disrespectful or stealing from them, but rather when we approach other culture’s tastes with curiosity and humility we showing our appreciation for our differences! This tagine is like a classic beef stew slow cooked with the flavors of Northern Africa and studded with swelled dried apricots for a hint of sweetness. Don’t be afraid to try new meals from other cultures, you’d be surprised how one little tweak can totally change a meal you’ve had a thousand times.
Ingredients:
Makes 8 servings
2.5 pounds chuck roast or stew beef, cut into 1-2 inch chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup dried apricots, diced
2 tablespoons honey
4 cups chicken broth (1 cup if using an instant pot)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
for topping:
parsley
chopped almonds
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F and heat a dutch oven or large pot with a lid over medium heat. You can also use an instant pot, but follow the amounts for the reduced chicken broth. Add the olive oil and let it warm. Season the roast with salt and put it in the pot to sear on all sides. You want to get some nice color on it. Add the garlic, the rest of the salt, the ginger, cinnamon, apricots, honey, chicken broth and red wine vinegar. Put the lid on and pop it in the oven for about 3 hours. Check it for liquid halfway through and make sure it’s not too low. If you’re using an instant pot, you can cook it on manual high pressure for about 90 minutes. Serve the meat with some of the pan juices topped with parsley and chopped almonds for crunch. Enjoy!
