Beef Tagine | Beef Recipes | Jamie Oliver Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cut of meat for tagine? ›

The best lamb to use for lamb tagine is lamb shoulder. It's a tough cut of meat that is made for slow cooking that's marbled with fat so it's beautifully juicy. Sometimes it is generically sold as “lamb stew meat”.

Tagines are usually made with chicken or lamb, but almost any protein can be used in place of the classic options. This flavorful recipe calls for swordfish steaks, which match perfectly with the dish's Moroccan spices.

Cooks preparing a tagine usually strive for a balance of sweet and savory. That is why you see spices like ginger, cinnamon or clove used to bring out the sweetness of the meat, alongside braised fruit (apricots, prunes or raisins) and savory seasonings (parsley, pepper or saffron).

Think of Moroccan tagine as a succulent, slowly simmered stew. Similar to this Moroccan Lamb Stew, the balance of sweet and savory flavors, coupled with the intensity of spices set this vegetable tagine apart from your average stew.

How Long Does It Take To Cook A Perfect Tagine? At the camp we cook all of our tagines on charcoal braziers; they normally take around 1.5 hrs. You can also cook them on the hob, just make sure you don't turn the heat up too high – a tagine should be cooked on a low to medium-low heat.

They cannot resist thermo shocks and can easily crack. Please refrain from adding cold water on a hot tagine during cooking or right after. Start cooking with low heat until the tagine is warm. Then proceed to medium heat and do not increase the heat too high, keep it on a steady/stable temperature all the way.

Some tagines have a small hole at the top of the lid that releases steam, meaning the sauce reduces as the steam escapes. But if your tagine doesn't have a hole, reduce the sauce by removing the lid in the last 15-30 minutes of cooking.

Tagines are primarily used to slow-cook savory stews and vegetable dishes. Because the lid of the tagine traps steam and returns the condensed liquid to the pot, a minimal amount of water is needed to cook meats and vegetables to buttery tenderness.

One secret to a stellar tagine is cooking the meat to just the right stage, almost falling off the bone, but not quite. Remember that even a stew can become overcooked and stringy, so pull the meat as soon as it is ready. Another is to check in to monitor its progress from time to time.

Can you put tagine directly on stove? ›

Traditionally, tagines would be cooked over coals or open flame, but you can use them over gas flames, electric elements or even in the oven. When heated, the ceramic expands slightly, sometimes creating small, thin cracks in the glaze. This is fine as it will improve the tagine's resistance to temperature changes.

Add the remaining tomato juice, chopped tomatoes, apricots, dates, raisins or sultanas, flaked almonds, saffron, lamb stock and honey to the casserole dish. Bring to the boil, cover with a fitted lid, place in the oven and cook for 2-2½ hours or until the meat is meltingly tender.

To serve, place the tagine on serving plates with couscous and a wedge of lime. Serve alongside a bowl of thick Greek yoghurt.

The versatile tagine pot can be used both on top of the stove or put in the oven. Dishes that are cooked in the pot can be taken straight to the table and served from there. Because of this, they are ideal for recipes for dinner parties or family gatherings.

The way a tagine is designed, with a cone-shaped top, means water condenses into steam and is retained in the dish; so tagines can become watery if you're not careful with your liquid measures. If you have added too much water, don't worry, you can reduce the liquids at the end of cooking to a thick sauce.

Main dishes

The main Moroccan dish people are most familiar with is couscous; lamb is the most commonly eaten meat in Morocco, usually eaten in a tagine with a wide selection of vegetables. Chicken is also very commonly used in tagines or roasted.

Just make sure the tagine is lead-free. There are also aluminum tagines and cast iron tagines, which have their own benefits. Aluminum is lightweight, so it is easy to handle when full of couscous and veggies. Cast iron is better for novice cooks since it won't crack and is much more forgiving during cooking.

What is the best cut for shredded beef? Chuck roast is hands down the winner for maximum beefy flavor, the right amount of fattiness, and cost-effectiveness, but there are a few runner-ups that will yield a delicious result. Brisket is always a delicious choice, but it can be on the pricey side.

Chuck roast is arguably the best cut to use for pulled beef. Similar to the front shoulder of pork (or the pork “butt”) chuck roasts, being from the front shoulder of the steer, are chock full of fat, collagen, and marbling.