Send to a friend Middle Eastern Braised Beef with Fair Trade Couscous
Posted by Al Brown in Al's latest recipe, Recipes: Beef, 2011.05.23
This is a very fragrant slow cooked dish, which is very reminiscent of a Tagine. A big plus of this recipe is the cooking aroma’s that are given off through the cooking process, that drift through the house, accentuating the desire for dinner to be served early.
Serves 6
Step 1. Middle Eastern Braised Beef
Ingredients…
1 ½ tsp Trade Aid ginger powder
2 Tbl cumin powder
1 tsp smoked paprika (sweet)
1 tsp Trade Aid cinnamon powder
1.5 kg Harrington’s gravy beef
1/4 cup Ceres Organics canola oil
2 cups Farmers Fresh red onion (french cut)
5cm ginger (peeled, julienned)
3 Saucy Sisters red chillies (seeds removed, julienned)
1 cup Ceres Organics dried apricots (halved)
1 litre Moreish chicken stock
200 ml Base Kitchen demi glaze
Sea salt and Trade Aid freshly cracked black pepper
Method…
Mix spices in a large bowl and rub over raw beef pieces. Marinate overnight.
Place a large cast iron casserole dish on a high heat. Add 2 Tbl of oil, then brown the beef pieces quickly, removed and set aside once done. Lower to a medium heat, add another tablespoon of oil if necessary and sauté the onion, ginger and chilli until caramelised, about 5 minutes. Return the beef to the casserole dish along with the apricots, chicken stock and demi glaze. Bring up to a simmer and then cover and place in the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hrs, until meat is tender and easily pulled apart.
Set aside to cool. Refrigerate until required, or hold for serving.
Step 2. Fair Trade Couscous
Ingredients…
2 Tbl Ceres Organics canola oil
2 cups Farmers Fresh red onion (fine dice)
1 Saucy Sisters red chilli (seeds removed, finely chopped)
1 tsp Kiwi garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 cup currants
2 tsp smoked paprika (sweet)
1 Tbl cumin powder
2 Cuba Fruit oranges (zest and juice)
3 ½ cup hot seasoned water
400 gm Fair Trade Palestinian couscous
2 Tbl Mainland butter
1/2 cup More Herbs coriander leaves (rough chop)
1/2 cup More Herbs mint leaves (rough chop)
Sea salt and Trade Aid freshly cracked black pepper
Method…
In a large skillet or similar, add canola oil, and heat to low/medium temperature. Sweat the red onion, chilli, garlic, currants, smoked paprika and cumin until soft. About 15 - 20 minutes.
Add the orange zest and juice to the onion mix, remove and hold.
Bring the hot seasoned water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. Once boiling, stir through the couscous, cover with a lid and remove from the heat. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes to steam, then remove the lid and stir through the butter with a fork, being sure to fluff all of the couscous to avoid lumps.
To finish stir through the onion and spice mix into the warm couscous. Finish with chopped herbs and season to taste. Refrigerate until required, or hold for serving.
Step 3. Serving
Ingredients…
Middle Eastern Braised Beef
Fair Trade Couscous
Thick Piako natural yoghurt
Alamir Bakery Pita Bread
Method…
Stirring occasionally, reheat the Middle Eastern beef in a 150 degree oven until piping hot, or use a microwave oven. Couscous can be heated in the microwave or over a double boiler. Spoon couscous onto warm plates, top with braised beef and a dollop of thick creamy yoghurt. Accompany with some steamed seasonal vegetables or green salad and oven warmed pita bread.
