Beef Tagine Recipe

The stereotypical “Moroccan Tagine” recipe is great at this time of year, as it contains a heady mixture of spices which capture the season perfectly.  For this recipe I’ve loaned Nigella Lawson’s Lamb and Date Tagine (from her great Nigella Christmas book), with just a few tweaks.

The reason for the tweaking isn’t because I think I can improve her recipe; far from it.  In fact, this version was born out of an evening’s dinner with a Brother-In-Law who doesn’t like lamb, coupled with my urge to haul out last year’s Christmas present – a clay tagine pot from my Wife.

Give this version (or Nigella’s original) a go and your house will be full of the smells of Christmas while it cooks.  You won’t regret it!

Beef Tagine Recipe – Ingredients & Method

1kg Diced stewing beef
4 tbsp olive oil
2 Onions, peeled and chopped
250g Dried dates (de-stoned)
200ml Red Wine
250ml Water
1 tsp of each of the following: Cinnamon, Turmeric, Ginger and Cumin
5 Cloves
2 Tomatoes, cut into 1/2 moon shapes (half down the middle, then half again, then once more)
Salt & pepper, to taste


Start off by heating your oil in a wide pan or tagine pot.  Throw in your onions and stir for 10 minutes to soften.
Add in your spices and stir.
Turn up the heat, add the meat, and stir occasionally to brown.
Add the liquids and dates then reduce the heat to a minimum, pop the lid on, and leave for 1.5 hours.
Add the tomatoes, stir, then back on with the lid for another 30 minutes.

You’re done!  I hope you enjoy it – but don’t thank me, thank Nigella!