Beef Tagine with Prunes and Almonds
Beef slow-cooked with cinnamon and saffron until tender, finished with honeyed prunes, toasted almonds and sesame seeds.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 2 hr 45 min
- Total
- 3 hr 10 min
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
Lham bel barkouk is the tagine Moroccans make for weddings, Eid and anyone they are trying to impress. Beef or lamb is cooked down with onion, cinnamon and saffron, then crowned with prunes simmered in honey until they gloss.
The sweet-savoury combination is old and deliberate. The honey and cinnamon in the prunes are there to push against the depth of the meat, not to turn the dish into a dessert — which is why the meat itself is seasoned firmly with pepper and ginger.
Cook it slowly. Three hours at a whisper is better than ninety minutes at a simmer.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings
For the tagine
For the prunes
To finish
Instructions
Season the meat
Toss the beef with the grated onion, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, saffron, salt and half the olive oil. Leave for 20 minutes while you prepare everything else.
Start the pot
Spread the sliced onion over the base of a tagine or heavy casserole with the remaining oil. Add the meat and all its marinade, the cinnamon stick and the coriander bundle. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes, turning once.
Slow cook
Add the water, bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 2 to 2 and a half hours. Check every 40 minutes and add a splash of hot water if it looks dry. The beef is ready when it gives completely to a spoon.
Cook the prunes
About 30 minutes before the end, put the prunes in a small pan with the water, honey and cinnamon. Simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes until plump and syrupy, then stir in the orange blossom water.
Reduce the sauce
Lift out the meat and the herb bundle. Boil the sauce uncovered until it is thick, dark and glossy — it should just coat a spoon. Return the meat and warm it through.
Assemble
Arrange the meat in the tagine, spoon the sauce over, then pile the prunes and their syrup on top. Scatter with fried almonds and sesame seeds and add the eggs if using.
Serve
Serve straight from the pot with bread. Do not offer cutlery unless someone asks.
Cook’s notes
- Dried apricots, quince or fresh figs can replace the prunes in season, using exactly the same syrup.
- A pressure cooker gets the meat there in 45 minutes. Finish the sauce uncovered afterwards, as it will be far too thin.
- Fry the almonds rather than dry-toasting if you want the traditional deep colour and crunch — but watch them, they turn in seconds.
Recipe information
- Prep time
- 25 min
- Cook time
- 2 hr 45 min
- Total time
- 3 hr 10 min
- Servings
- 6
- Calories
- 580 kcal per serving
- Cuisine
- Moroccan
- Course
- Main Dish
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Keywords
- beef tagine with prunes, moroccan lham bel barkouk, lamb tagine prunes, sweet moroccan tagine
Nutrition is an estimate per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions
Beef or lamb for this tagine?
Is this tagine very sweet?
Can I cook it in the oven?
Why are hard-boiled eggs served with it?
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