Beef Tagine (recipe, meat)

Beef Tagine M Serves: 8

This beef is melt in your mouth, sweet and spicy. I like to make this recipe a day in advance so I can remove the fat that has congealed overnight. The extra time also gives the spices more time to flavor the meat and sauce.
Prep time: 20-30 minutes   Braising time: 2 ½ -3 hours
INGREDIENTS
4 pounds cubed beef
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 pinches saffron
1 teaspoon hot paprika
2 pinches cayenne pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large onion
2 large cloves garlic-peeled
2 inches fresh ginger- diced
1 28 ounce box/can organic chopped tomatoes-drained
2 large juice oranges
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups fresh/boxed/instant beef broth
3 medium carrots
3 large celery ribs
1 cup sliced dried apricots
24 pitted green olives-drained and halved
EQUIPMENT
large dutch oven
DIRECTIONS

1. Unwrap beef cubes. Look at each piece of meat and remove any extra fat you can. Cut any piece of meat that is too large. Rinse cubes and pat dry.
2. Mix spices together and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to: 350 F.
4. Cut two long and wide strips of peel from the oranges before juicing them. Set aside.
5. Peel and halve onion. Slice into ¼ inch semi-circles.
6. Pour olive oil into dutch oven and heat over medium flame.
7. Add onion to oil and sauté until it begins to soften. Add garlic, ginger and cubed beef to the pot. Stir vigorously so that the beef is totally covered in oil, ginger and onions.
8. Pour orange juice over beef and mix well. Add drained tomatoes, orange peel, honey, spices and beef broth. Stir well again. Bring beef mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover pot and put it in oven. Cook for 60-90 minutes or until meat has begun to soften.
9. While meat is cooking, peel and cut carrots into ½ inch rounds. Wash celery and slice ribs down the center before cutting them into ½ inch pieces. Add vegetables and sliced apricots to meat after the first braising is done. Stir well. Continue to cook beef another 30-60 minutes or until beef is very tender and sauce has somewhat thickened. Cool completely before chilling overnight.
10. Take tagine out of refrigerator. Remove congealed fat and orange peel . Stir in olives and heat tagine over medium heat until hot. Serve with basmati rice.