Pharaoh Beef

Pharaoh Beef
Or, as Justice Kamanga calls it in his "Tastes of Africa" cookbook, Spiced Beef Skillet.  I think my name sounds more special and this dish is oh so special.  I am a BIG fan of Justice Kamanga and his "Tastes of Africa" cookbook. I may be his biggest fan, but I'm guessing the people who work at the Italian Embassy in S. Africa are bigger fans, because that is where he is chef!  Lucky ducks.

When I first made this, my husband and I were blown away.  It was just so perfect.  We made it in a 400 degree oven and let all the beef juice and fat cook into the roasted vegetables. So delicious.  I named it "Pharaoh Beef" because Mr. Kamanga writes that in ancient Egypt, this dish was reserved for Pharaohs.

Spiced Beef Skillet a.k.a Pharaoh Beef

1 Tbsp black peppercorns, crushed
1Tbsp mustard seeds (I subbed mustard powder)
1 Tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
1 lb. (500 g.) beef steak
3 Tbsp butter

Sauce
1/4 c. tahini
1 c. plain yogurt (I like full fat Fage Greek yogurt)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (200 degrees C.) I know its not the same but...sorry.

Mix together the peppercorns, mustard and coriander seeds, then coat the fillet with the mixture.  Heat the butter in a frying pan, sear the meat on all sides, then transfer to a roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes.  We already had carrots, onions and baby potatoes roasting for about 20 or so minutes and then added the beef to this.

Let the meat rest for 10 min. before slicing.  Make the sauce during this time. Gently mix all ingredients until smooth.

Slice the meat thinly and arrange on a platter with the roasted vegetables and some sort of a fresh vegetable or leafy green salad.  We served ours with the recommended Cucumber and Baby Marrow (zucchini) Salad. Serve beef and vegetables with the sauce.

Tagine

Apricot Lamb Tagine

I got this recipe off of Pinterest.  Tagine's are popular in Morocco and other parts of North Africa.  The name comes from the type of clay pot that is used, called a "tagine". I don't have a tagine and you don't have to either to make this.  It is beyond delicious!

 Recipe: Courtesy closetcooking.com via Pinterest

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pinch saffron
1 teaspoon lemon (zest)
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound lamb (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion (chopped)
1 tablespoon garlic (grated)
1 tablespoon ginger (grated)
2 tablespoons tomato paste (I used chopped sun dried tomatoes)
1-2 cups beef stock
3/4 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons harissa  
1/4 cup pistachios (chopped, optional)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped, optional)
1/4 cup parsley (chopped, optional)
1 cup Greek style yogurt (optional)

Directions:
1. Mix the paprika, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, cayenne pepper, saffron, lemon zest and oil in a ziplock bag.
2. Add the lamb, mix well and marinate the fridge for a few hours to overnight.
3. Heat the oil in a large pan.
4. Add the lamb, brown well on all sides and set aside.
5. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for about a minute.
7. Add the lamb and tomato paste and cover with beef stock.
8. Bring to a boil, reduce the meat and simmer covered until the lamb is fall apart tender, about 2-3 hours.
9. Add the apricots, raisins and more beef stock to cover.
10. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
11. Add the honey and harissa.
12. Serve on couscous and garnished with pistachios, cilantro, parsley and Greek yogurt.


My Riffs and Review:

 Excellent. Sweet and tangy. Don't worry about the Harissa (North African hot chili paste) You can use Sriracha or a similar product). Perfect contrast to the simple and light couscous. I probably used half as much lamb. I chopped the apricots. They were good, but sometimes over-powerful. Probably because I didn't add a full pound of lamb. You may want to reduce amount just a bit. The parsley or green onions on top are a must for balance.  I paired it with a simple spinach salad with a dressing of 2 parts olive oil, 1 part lemon juice, 1tsp. dijon, salt and pepper. My husband went nuts for it!