Morrocan Beef Meatball Tagine

Setting: My kitchen
 Time of day: Late afternoon, roughly 4:45


Me: "I think meatloaf for dinner sounds good."

Me: "No, I don't want mashed potatoes (the only starch that can be served with meatloaf)"

Me: "I could make hamburgers."

Me: "No we're out of buns. And pickles. And tomatoes. And its raining."

Me: "I could make um...."

By this point I had defrosted almost 2 pounds of ground beef, no idea what I was going to do with it, and dinner was rapidly approaching. (And yes, I talk to myself. What? It's perfectly normal) I had to make something. So I Epicurioused (same concept as "googled") ground beef.

Me: "Nooooo... yes!" (victory dance ensues)

Success. Houston, we have dinner. It was quick, easy, and we had everything on hand. Exactly what I needed in the middle of the week. I have no idea how authentic they are, (I'm not an expert like someone I could mention) but they tasted really good. And we had leftovers which are now sitting in the freezer.

Moroccan Beef Meatball Tagine
Adapted from From Bon Apetit Magazine

If you have preserved lemons, now would be the time to use them. I served this with couscous and it was a hit. If you are short on time, the original recipe might be slightly faster as it does not call for browning the meatballs and has the oven at a higher temperature.


For meatballs:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (20% fat)
• 1/3 cup coarsely grated onion
• 1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)*
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Stew:

• 3 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/8 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes in juice
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 cups carrots (I used baby carrots cut in half)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus additional for garnish
• 1 5-ounce package baby spinach leaves
• Lemon wedges (for garnish)

To make:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl. Using moistened hands and scant 2 tablespoonfuls for each, roll meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Arrange meatballs on cookie sheet lined with plastic wrap. Preheat dutch oven or other heavy bottom, oven safe pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil. Brown meatballs. When meatballs are browned, reduce heat to medium and cook onions and carrots for about 10 minutes. Deglaze using the stock. Add garlic, cinnamon, turmeric and saffron. Stir for two minutes. Add tomatoes and carefully add meatballs, pressing gently to submerge. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cilantro over the top. Cover, and place in oven. Bake for about 1 hour, or until meatballs are cooked through. Add spinach (I used enough to fill the remaining space in the pan) cover, and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the spinach has wilted.