Moroccan Beef Stew

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From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...

While it goes against conventional wisdom, I like to serve this stew at least once during the summer season. I love its vaguely Moroccan flavor and I think it is a perfect meal to serve when your palate's in the doldrums and you have a taste for something different and a bit more substantial than standard summer fare. The recipe comes from Family Circle magazine and while I've made some changes to it over time, the recipe that appears below, save for the portions in red, is the one that was first featured in the magazine. I absolutely hate tough stew meat and to avoid it, I often go to extremes that others think unnecessary. The original recipe called for browning and stewing the meat on top of the stove. Over the years, I've become a fan of slow-cooked stews, not those that come from a crock-pot, but those that are the result of cooking in a low-slow oven for a considerable length of time. Even if you bypass this recipe, I hope you try the technique in which meat and vegetables are browned stovetop, but simmered for about 5 hours in a 250 degree oven once the contents of the pot come to a boil. I serve this stew with couscous or rice and a lovely crisp green salad. Here's how this Moroccan-style stew is made.

Moroccan Beef Stew...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Family Circle Magazine

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds beef chuck for stew, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 (14.5-oz.) can beef broth
1 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
Cooked pearl couscous (optional)

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. In a bowl, toss beef cubes in flour, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and pepper. Add half of beef to pot. Brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon and repeat with remaining beef.
2) Reduce heat to medium and add onion to pot. Cook 3 to 5 minutes to soften. Sprinkle with cumin, cinnamon and cloves. Cook 1 minute. Add a splash of the beef stock; cook 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot.
3) Add broth and bring to a boil. Return beef to pot along with any liquid. Cover and simmer 1-1/2 hours over low heat, or transfer pot to a preheated 250 degrees F oven and bake for 5 hours.
4) Uncover pot and stir in prunes and apricots. Cover and cook 15 minutes. Uncover and stir in spinach. Cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Serve stew over pearl couscous, if desired. Yield: 6 servings.









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