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Moroccan Beef Meatball Tagine

If you are a Cilantro lover, you are going to love this dish.  I happen to be a huge fan of Cilantro but I know many people who absolutely hate it, so if that is you, I apologize.  I promise to bring you a Cilantro free recipe next time around.

It comes from the latest edition of Bon Appetit magazine (one of my favorites) and is a part of their 5 Amazing Meatball recipe spread.  I chose it because it was the furthest thing from all of the Christmas fare we’d been dining (and re-dining on lately.)  A tagine or tajine is a type of slow cooked stew found in North African cooking.  It is named after the special cookware used for these dishes.  You can see an example of a Tagine here.  Don’t worry, you do not need a tagine to make this meal.  A good old fashioned oven safe dutch oven works just fine.

Although this recipe calls for beef meatballs,  I really think it would be great, maybe even better, with ground turkey.  So, feel free to lighten it up if you so desire.

INGREDIENTS

Meatballs

1 1/2 pounds group beef (20% fat)

1/3 cup coarsely grated onion

1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 large egg, beaten to blend

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Stew

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 1/2 cups chopped onions

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled

2 cups beef broth

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

1/4 cup golden raisins

2 cups 1/2 inch thick carrot slices (cut on diagonal)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for garnish

1 5 ounce package baby spinach leaves

Couscous with Fresh Cilantro and Lemon Juice (recipe below)

DIRECTIONS

Meatballs:  Line large rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap.  Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl.  Using moistened hands and scant 2 tablespoonsfuls for each, roll meat mixture into 1 1/2 inch meatballs. Arrange meatballs on sheet.

Stew:

Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium heat.  Add onions; saute about 15 minutes.  Add garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, and saffron; stir 2 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes with juice, and raisins.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bring stew to simmer.  Stir in carrots.  Carefully add meatballs to stew; gently press into liquid to submerge.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup cilantro over. Cover pot; place in oven. Bake until meatballs are cooked through and carrots are tender, about 35 minutes.  Sprinkle spinach over stew.  Cover and bake until spinach wilts, about 5 minutes longer.  Gently stir to mix in spinach, being careful not to break meatballs. Remove cinnamon sticks.  Season tagine with salt and pepper.

Spoon couscous into bowls; top with tagine. garnish with cilantro and lemons.

Couscous with Fresh Cilantro and Lemon Juice

INGREDIENTS

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric

1 2/3 cups water

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1 1/2 cups plain couscous

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and turmeric; stir 1 minute.  Add 1 2/3 cups water, lemon peel, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt; bring to boil. Remove pan from heat.  Stir in couscous.  Cover; let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.  Fluff with fork; mix in cilantro and lemon juice.  Season with pepper and additional coarse salt if desired.

Monday, December 28th, 2009, by Deborah Smith, Executive Editor and is filed under "Recipes, Deborah Smith ". You can leave a response here, or send a Trackback from your own site.