Moroccan Tangia
A slow-cooked beef stew from Marrakech, traditionally made in a sealed clay pot with warm spices, preserved lemon, and olives. Tender meat falls apart in a rich, aromatic sauce—a North African classic.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 485
- Protein
- 52g
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef chuck, boneless
- 2 medium onion, yellow
- 6 cloves garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons ginger, fresh
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 piece cinnamon stick
- ½ cup preserved lemon, chopped
- ¾ cup green olives, pitted
- 1.5 cups beef broth
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Cut the beef chuck into 2-inch chunks by first cutting the meat in half lengthwise, then cutting across those halves into pieces about the size of large walnuts.
- 2
Peel the onions and cut them in half from root to tip, then slice each half lengthwise into thin strips about the thickness of a pencil.
- 3
Peel the garlic cloves and mince them until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice, about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 4
Peel the fresh ginger with a vegetable peeler or the side of a spoon, then finely mince it until the pieces are as small as the garlic, about pencil-tip size.
- 5
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers and moves quickly when you tilt the pot, about 2 minutes.
- 6
Working in two batches to avoid crowding, place the beef chunks in the hot oil in a single layer and cook without moving them for 3 minutes until the bottoms turn deep golden brown.
- 7
Stir the beef once and cook for another 2 minutes to brown the other sides, then transfer the browned chunks to a clean bowl.
- 8
In the same pot, add the minced garlic and ginger to the remaining oil and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the mixture becomes strongly fragrant.
- 9
Add the paprika, cumin, and cinnamon stick to the hot garlic mixture and stir for another 15 seconds to release the spice flavors.
- 10
Add the onion strips to the pot and stir continuously for 3 minutes until they begin to turn translucent and soften.
- 11
Pour 1.5 cups of beef broth into the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the stuck-on brown bits from the bottom until the liquid is clear.
- 12
Return the browned beef chunks to the pot and stir once to combine with the broth and vegetables.
- 13
Add the chopped preserved lemon and green olives, stir once, then reduce the heat to low.
- 14
Cover the pot with its lid and place it in a 325°F oven for 2.5 hours, until the beef is so tender it shreds easily when pressed with a fork.
- 15
Remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid—be careful of the steam rising from the surface.
- 16
Remove and discard the cinnamon stick, then taste the sauce and add salt and pepper until it tastes the way you like it.
- 17
Ladle the beef and sauce into bowls, making sure each bowl gets pieces of meat, olives, and preserved lemon, plus plenty of broth.
Tools you’ll need
- large heavy-bottomed pot with lid (5-quart or larger)
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- wooden spoon
- clean bowl
- vegetable peeler or spoon
- oven
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