About This Dish
An adapted home version of the famous Marrakchi tanjia that uses a Dutch oven or slow cooker instead of a clay urn in the hammam ashes. This recipe captures the essence of tanjia — extremely slow-cooked beef or lamb with minimal spices and maximum tenderness — adapted for the modern kitchen. The meat literally falls apart when done, and the sauce is intensely concentrated. It is a perfect weekend dish when you can let it cook unattended for hours. The result is remarkably close to the authentic street version.
Ingredients
- 1 kg Beef short ribs or lamb shanks
- 1 Preserved lemon
- 8 Garlic cloves, whole
- 2 tsp Ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp Saffron threads
- 2 tbsp Butter or smen
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- to taste Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup Water
Instructions
- 1
Place all ingredients in a Dutch oven or slow cooker.
- 2
Seal tightly with foil under the lid.
- 3
Cook in oven at 150C (300F) for 5 hours, or slow cooker on low for 8 hours.
- 4
Do not open during cooking — the sealed environment is essential.
- 5
The meat should be falling off the bone. Serve from the pot with bread.
Tips & Tricks
- Resisting the urge to open the lid is the hardest part of this recipe.
- Short ribs give the richest result due to their marbling.
- The sauce will be very concentrated — a little goes a long way.