Lamb Or Beef Tagine With Onions And Tomatoes

I thought I would surprise my husband with another tagine tonight.  He could not stop raving about how awesome the Lamb Tagine with Dates, Almonds and Pistachios was, so I thought another was in order.  I wanted to do one that wasn't quite as sweet.  I picked this one.  I happened to really like it, as much as the last one, my husband thought it was good, but preferred the sweeter first one.  I did have one small issue, I didn't have any couscous!  Now it was recommended to eat this with a bread for scooping up, but as I am not a baker, and I assumed I still had couscous, I didn't shop or plan for anything beyond the tagine itself.  Fast forward to the end of the cooking time for the tagine, and I am getting ready to make the couscous that I discover I don't have.  My husband suggests that we throw in the butternut dumplings we had earlier in the week.  So, I throw those in for about 15 minutes just to heat them up.  It worked, but next time I will bake the bread and double check my pantry before cooking;).






Lamb Or Beef Tagine With Onions And Tomatoes
 
1 1/2 Lb (700 g) lamb or beef cut into 2" or 3" pieces
3 or 4 large white or yellow onions thickly sliced
3 Clove garlic finely chopped or pressed
1/4 Cup chopped fresh parsley and/or cilantro
3-4 Tbsp Ghee
1 1/2 Tsp salt or to taste
1 1/2 Tsp ginger
1 Tsp black pepper
1/4 Tsp white pepper
1/4 Tsp Ras el Hanout
1/4 Tsp turmeric
1/4 Tsp cinnamon
1/4 Tsp saffron threads crumbled
2 large tomatoes sliced
1/4 Cup golden raisins


Clay or Ceramic Tagine Method

Mix the meat, onions, garlic, parsley and spices in a bowl. Pour the
olive oil into the base of tagine and add the onion and meat mixture,
placing the meat in the center on top of the onions. Arrange the tomato
slices (and raisins, if using) all around.
Swirl 1 1/2 cups of water in the bowl to clean it of the spices, and add
the water to the tagine. Cover, and bring the tagine to a simmer over
medium-low heat. (It's best to use a diffuser between the tagine or
burner.) Be patient, as it may take awhile for the tagine to reach a
simmer.
Reduce the heat to the lowest temperature necessary to maintain the
simmer, and cook for 3 hours or longer, until the meat is very tender
and can be broken apart by your fingers. If excess liquid remains,
continue cooking the tagine, uncovered, to reduce the liquids to a thick
sauce. Serve directly from the tagine.



Conventional Pot Method

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, mix together all ingredients except the
tomatoes and raisins. Cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat,
stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned. Add 2 cups of water,
cover, bring to a simmer and cook for about an hour, checking
occasionally to be sure there is adequate liquid.

Add the sliced tomatoes (and the raisins, if using), cover, and cook for
another 45 minutes to an hour, or until the meat and tomatoes are very
tender. Reduce the liquids to a thick sauce, and serve.