Beef Tagine with Sweet Potatoes

Every now and then I find a recipe that someone else has knocked out of the park. Such is true of this Moroccan dish from "The African and Middle Eastern Cookbook", by Josephine Bacon (even her name is delicious) and Jenni Fleetwood. A tagine is the earthenware pot traditionally used in Northern Africa to slow cook in. Here I use a nonstick, deep rimmed skillet with a tight fitting lit. This savory stew is true comfort food

What you'll need

Approximately 3 ½ hours total time

Deep rimmed skillet

Med pot

1 ½ lb stew meat such as chuck roast, ¾ inch cubes

2 T oil

¼ tsp turmeric

1 onion chopped

1 fresh chili diced

1 ½ tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp ground cumin

1 lb sweet potatoes, sliced

1 T parsley, chopped

1 T cilantro, chopped

1 T butter

Salt & pepper

First off cut up the meat into ¾ inch cubes. Heat the oil over medium heat and then fry the meat and turmeric until browned, 4-6 minutes.

Now cover the skillet tightly and cook over medium low heat for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add the onion, chili, paprika, cayenne and cumin to the skillet as well as just enough water to cover the meat.

Recover the skillet and place it in the oven for 1 ½ hours. After about an hour nap it’s time to slice up the sweet potatoes, about 1/8 inch think. Put them in a bowl of salted water as you go. It keeps them from discoloring and seasons them when they parboil. Transfer the contents into a pot including the water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3 minutes then drain and set aside.

Remove meat from the oven and stir in herbs adding a bit of water if the stew appears too dry. Arrange sweet potato slices in concentric circles so that the entire surface gets covered.

Next dot the sweet potatoes with the butter. Replace the cover and place back in the oven for 10 minutes more. Then increase the oven to 400 degrees and remove the lid. Cook a further 8-12 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown.