It’s week 2 of the Pick ‘n Pay Freshly Blogged challenge! Voting has opened and this is the recipe I produced for the second round – a Moroccan inspired beef dish served with delicately spiced flatbreads.
The ingredients list for this challenge was as follows: beef shin, beef suet, Knorr beef stock pot, a soup pack (containing assorted vegetables), star anise and white wine vinegar. We were allowed to omit one of these ingredients and add one grocery and two fresh items of our choice. I decided to use all of the ingredients on the shopping list and added in an onion, fresh coriander and ground cumin.
Edit: In April 2018 I made this beef stew on the Expresso Show. You can watch the video here:
MOROCCAN BEEF WITH SPICED FLATBREADS
For the beef stew:
- 500g beef shin
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp finely chopped celery
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm slices
- 1 tsp star anise
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 Knorr beef stock pot
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley + extra to serve
- small handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped + extra to serve
For the flatbreads (makes 6):
- 2 cups plain flour
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 60g beef suet, minced or shredded
- 210ml warm water
1.) Cut the beef shin into 2-3cm cubes. Combine the flour and cumin and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Toss the beef in the spice mixture and set aside.
2.) Heat the sunflower oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion, celery and carrots and fry for 2 minutes. Add the star anise pieces and cook for a further minute.
3.) Add the beef to the pan and brown for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the white wine vinegar, cover the pot and leave to cook over a low heat for 5 minutes.
4.) Add the Knorr beef stock pot and the water to the pot and mix well. Replace the lid and cook over a gentle heat for 1-1½ hours, stirring every 20 minutes or so, until the beef is very tender.
5.) While the beef is cooking you can prepare your flatbreads (see separate instructions below).
6.) Try as best you can to remove the star anise pieces from the beef stew, then stir in the chopped parsley and coriander. Allow to simmer for a further 5 minutes with the lid off.
7.) Check the seasoning of the beef. Dish onto warmed plates and top with extra parsley and coriander if desired. Serve with freshly made flatbreads.
To make the flatbreads:
1.) Sift the flour, cumin, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Add the suet and mix everything together.
2.) Add most of the water to the flour and mix to combine. Continue adding water until the dough starts coming together. Tip onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes until you have a soft dough. Place the dough back in the mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and allow to stand for 30 minutes.
3.) Divide the dough in half, then divide each half into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Dust your work surface with a little flour, then use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a circle about 2-3mm thick.
4.) Heat a dry griddle pan over a medium heat. Place a flatbread in the pan and cook for 1½ minutes. Flip the flatbread over and cook the other side for 1½ minutes or until the bread starts to puff up and colour. Repeat with the remaining flatbreads. Keep the breads warm until serving time.
