After becoming acquainted with ras el hanout a couple of years ago, I’m always excited about finding a recipe that makes use of it. And we indeed found one while flipping through the BF’s latest copy of DRAFT Magazine- Moroccan Beef Stew.
My hankering for not following a recipe to the letter was in check on the day I made this delight, particularly because of the lack of vegetables in the original recipe. So I included some baby carrots and celery to the mix (and served with a side of broccoli and cauliflower braised in a bit of beer). I also doctored up the recipe with some dried apricots (in respect for Armenian-American family friends, I sought out a variety that did not come from Turkey) and dried cherries- just a few for taste. I did not want to veer too far off from the intended flavors of the meal.
Golden raisins and dried apricots
In place of the black lager, I used peanut-buttery Sweet Baby Jesus by DuClaw. Whoa. That was some seriously peanut-buttery smelling brew! The entire house smelled of it as I simmered my sauteed onions, celery, and garlic in it.
Simmering Sweet Baby Jesus porter with onion, celery, and garlic
I coated the stew meat with the ras al hanout (and freshly-ground pepper) before browning…and after browning:
Browned stew meat with ras al hanout
And added the other ingredients (olives, tomatoes, and the like):
to the crockpot, letting all those flavors go to town and meld together to create something delicious! We served the first batch with couscous, which was a perfect compliment to a Moroccan-inspired dish.