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A close-up shot featuring lamb with prunes, almonds, apricots, and a rich, thick sauce

Beef Tagine with Prunes

Moroccan Meat Tagine with Prunes (Lham bel Barkouk) is undeniably one of the most famous Moroccan dishes in the world. It consists of meat, spices, and onions, and is decorated with dried prunes and almonds.
It is served as a main dish at weddings, official banquets, family gatherings, and especially during Eid al-Adha. It is renowned for its wonderful balance between the tenderness of the delicious meat and the sweetness of the caramelized prunes, along with the crunch of roasted almonds.
Bastilla is served first, followed by Djaj Mhamar (roasted chicken) second, then the Meat Tagine with Prunes third.
This order is adopted by everyone here in Morocco.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 10
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: moroccan
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

💠1- Ingredients Meat
  • 3 kg veal (neck, shoulder, or shank/thigh)
  • 3 Pieces Onions (finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp Ginger
  • 1 tsp Turmeric
  • 2 Piece Cinnamon Stick
  • 2 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
  • 1 tbsp Moroccan Smen (aged salted butter)
  • 1 g Pure Saffron Threads
  • 2 g artificial saffron bouillon cube infused in 1 cup of hot water (optional)
  • 1 Bunch Tied Bouquet of Fresh Parsley and Coriander (unchopped)
💠2- Preparing Fried Almonds
  • 150 g Almonds
  • 2 cup Vegetable oil for frying
💠3- Preparing Caramelized Prunes (Barkouk Maasel)
  • 500 g Prunes
  • 3 tbsp suger
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 3 cup water
  • 1 tsp butter

Equipment

  • 1 Large Cooking Pot: (or Pressure Cooker)
  • 1 Small Saucepan
  • 1 Small Frying Pan
  • 1 Fine Mesh Sieve
  • 1 Large serving platter

Method
 

💠1-Meat Preparation Method ( Beef Tagine with Prunes )
  1. First, place the saffron in a cup of hot water and let it sit for 15 minutes to fully release its color and flavor.
  2. In a large dish, combine the spices and the cup of saffron-infused water. Rub the meat thoroughly with this mixture.
    Seasoning meat with the Moroccan four-spice blend
  3. Cover it with plastic wrap (cling film) and place it in the refrigerator overnight.
  4. The next day, finely mince the onions using a food processor or chop them into small pieces with a knife.
  5. In a pot, layer the minced onions and regular cooking oil, then place the meat on top, adding any remaining spice mixture left in the dish.
    Meat Tagine with Prunes Place the meat in the pot and pour the remaining spices over it
  6. Note: Do not stack the pieces of meat on top of each other.
  7. Add the smen (aged butter) and the tied bouquet of parsley and coriander, as we did not include them in the marinade
  8. Let it sear (brown) for 20 minutes, then pour boiling water down the side of the pot—not directly over the meat—so the spices don't wash off.
  9. The onions will also release their natural juices.
  10. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for one hour.
  11. Gently shake the pot from time to time to prevent the meat from sticking. You can also stir it very gently with a wooden spoon so the meat doesn't fall apart.
  12. After one hour, remove the tied bouquet of coriander and parsley.
    Simmer until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened
  13. Note: Leaving the coriander and parsley bouquet in the dish when serving is considered a major culinary mistake.
  14. Once the meat is fully cooked, let the sauce reduce and thicken until the flavor becomes concentrated and the onions are completely melted, just like a traditional daghmira sauce.
💠2- Preparing Caramelized Prunes (Barkouk Maasel) ( Beef Tagine with Prunes )
  1. Wash the prunes thoroughly, then place them in a bowl, submerge them in water for one hour, and drain.
  2. In a small pot, combine the prunes, 3 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of butter.
  3. Place the pot over low heat for half an hour until the prunes plump up and become beautifully caramelized.
    Caramelize the prunes with sugar, cinnamon, and water
  4. At this stage, you can add half a cup of the meat broth so the prunes absorb the savory flavor; however, this step is entirely optional and can be skipped.
  5. Let it simmer with the prunes until the sauce becomes very thick and syrupy.
  6. Once the prunes cool down slightly and can be handled by hand, roll each prune in crushed almonds, almond flakes, or sesame seeds, or leave them as they are without any additions.
💠3- Preparing the Fried Almonds ( Beef Tagine with Prunes )
  1. Boil 150g of almonds for 5 minutes only.
    Boil the almonds for just 5 minutes
  2. Rub the almonds between your fingers while they are still hot to easily remove the skins.
    Peeling the almonds while they are hot
  3. If the almonds cool down, it becomes difficult to peel them.
  4. They can be reheated, but do not overcook them so they don’t become soft on the inside.
  5. Wash them in a colander, then let them air-dry or dry them with a clean towel so not a single drop of water remains.
  6. This process can be done alongside marinating the meat a day before cooking; simply place them on a large tray spread out on a towel and cover them with another towel.
  7. Place them in a pan, pour cold oil over them, and set it over low heat so they cook through to the inside and become crunchy until they reach a light golden color.
    Fry the almonds in deep oil
  8. Note: A dark reddish-brown color affects the taste and makes it lean toward bitterness, because the almonds continue to cook even after being removed from the oil as they do not lose heat quickly.
  9. Alternatively, you can brush them with oil and bake them in the oven at 150°C, stirring from time to time until they are just golden.
💠4- Serving Method ( Beef Tagine with Prunes )
  1. Choose a large serving platter, place the meat first, then pour the reduced, thickened sauce over it.
  2. Arrange the prunes on top of the meat, then scatter the almonds over the entire dish.

Notes

Cut the meat into large cubes (13 cm or more) because they shrink and become smaller after cooking.
( Beef Tagine with Prunes )