Spicy Beef Stew with Moroccan Spice Rub

The flavor for this recipe comes mainly from the spice rub I put on the meat at the start. The spices and their aromas just get locked into the beef and release during the stewing so each bite is really well flavored. I used a spice mix commonly used in Middle Eastern and Moroccan cooking called ras el hanout. The sauce is tart from the tomatoes and sweet from the pumpkin, carrots, and parsnips and has a heady aroma from the spices. Ladle into your favorite soup bowl and slurp away. This is hearty enough on its own so I usually don't serve any bread with it.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 40 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 430 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 sprig fresh mint
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 small onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 1 leek, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste, or more to taste
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice, or to taste (Optional)
• 2 teaspoons white sugar, or to taste (Optional)
• 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon ras el hanout, or more to taste
• 1 cup diced pumpkin
• 1 cup rose wine
• 1 parsnip, halved lengthwise and thickly sliced
• 1 carrot, halved lengthwise and thickly sliced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place beef in a large bowl. Add ras el hanout and rub until beef is completely coated. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Step 2

Heat oil in a stew pot over high heat until shimmering. Add meat, making sure it's not overcrowded, and sear to seal in the juices, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate.

Step 3

Reduce heat to medium and add leek and onion to the pot. Saute until leeks turn golden and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and saute until they begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cooked meat back to the pot, along with diced pumpkin and tomato paste. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Step 4

Pour wine into the pot and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook until wine reduces by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add beef stock, rosemary, mint, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes.

Step 5

Add parsnip and carrot, cover, and simmer until beef is tender, about 40 minutes longer. Taste sauce and add lemon juice and sugar, if needed.