My Mom’s Moroccan Beef Stew is hearty, flavorful and perfect for a chilly night!
It may not be a beef stew time of year, however, for me there’s no better recipe to share with you for Mother’s Day than one of my mother’s award-winning recipes–Mom’s Moroccan Beef Stew.
My mother, Ann Ramczyk, was an award-winning cook. Besides winning numerous local and state cooking competitions, she represented Wisconsin twice at the Pillsbury Bake-Off and twice at national beef and chicken cook-offs. This Moroccan Beef Stew was the first-place winner in the 1988 Wisconsin beef cook-off.
I’ve made some adjustments to her recipe over time, but some things Mom just knew best — like using a chuck roast for the stew meat and hand-trimming it. To this day, I don’t purchase anything labeled “beef stew meat,” which is often bits and pieces of a variety of cuts that can result in different meat textures within the stew.
When I make this dish, I purchase about a 2 1/2 to 3-pound chuck roast. After trimming and cubing it, I have just over two pounds of meat that I’m confident will yield a consistent texture throughout.
Mom used canned pineapple for her winning dish, but I prefer the sweetness of dried apricots instead.
Mom slow-cooked her stew on the stovetop. However, my secret weapon for getting stews done quickly is an electric pressure cooker. She never used the old stovetop pressure cookers because of their reputation for exploding. However, today’s pressure cookers — both electric and stovetop — are extremely safe.
An added bonus with electric pressure cookers is they are often 3-in-1 devices that also include a rice cooker and slow cooker. Just lock the lid, set the pressure and timer and you can move on to another task. When the stew is done, release the pressure on any pressure cooker as gradually as possible. If done too quickly, the meat can toughen up.
Electric pressure cookers don’t go all the way to 15 psi (pounds per square inch) of pressure. If using a stovetop pressure cooker, you will need to adjust the cooking time because they do go that high. To make the stew another old-fashioned way, you can also do it in a 325-degree oven for about the same amount of time as on the stovetop.
My final touch is to add the harissa, a spicy condiment common in North African cuisine. Garnish with celery leaves (another frugal tip from Mom) and serve with couscous or rice.
Mom's Moroccan Beef Stew
My Mom's Moroccan Beef Stew is hearty, flavorful and perfect for a chilly night!
Ingredients
- STEW
- 2 pounds cubed and trimmed chuck roast
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 3 small plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
- Celery leaves, for garnish
- HARISSA
- 2 dried chipotle peppers
- 4 dried New Mexico chili peppers
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- Salt, to taste
Directions
STEW: Combine flour, salt and pepper on a plate and dredge beef pieces.
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven and brown beef evenly in batches. Pour off excess drippings.
Combine the paprika, coriander, turmeric, cumin, ginger and cayenne and sprinkle over beef. Add the celery, onion, carrot, garlic and beef broth.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 1 1/4 hours to 1 1/2 hours. Alternately, combine the ingredients in an electric pressure cooker and cook on High for 22 minutes or in a slow-cooker for 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low.
Add the apricots and tomatoes and cook an additional 15 minutes on the stovetop or 1 more minute on high in the pressure cooker.
Garnish with celery sprigs and serve with harissa.
HARISSA: Place peppers in a small saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let stand 20 minutes.
Remove stems and seeds and transfer to a food processor or blender.
Combine cumin and coriander in a dry, nonstick skillet and toast briefly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add to the peppers along with garlic, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Blend to a smooth paste. Season to taste with salt.
Recipe Notes
TO MAKE AHEAD: Stews are always better when they have an opportunity for the flavors to meld. Cook up to two days ahead and keep refrigerated.
TO FREEZE: Cool thoroughly and place in an airtight container. Freeze up to three months.
Selena says
Made this for dinner last night and it was really yummy. I also made couscous and ganished the with pomegranate seeds and parsley sprigs and it look really pretty.
Carol says
Thanks so much, Selena! Glad you enjoyed and your presentation sounds gorgeous!
tasha says
This looks great!
when you are using a pressure cooker do you do a quick release so you can add the apricots and tomato in?
Also after its finished the additional minute is it a quick or natural release?
thank you!!
Carol says
Hi, Tasha, Thanks for your good question! I would recommend a slow release after the initial cooking period. If you release the pressure too quickly, the beef can seize up and become tough again. That extra minute at high pressure shouldn’t affect the beef too much and should be just enough to get the apricots and tomato soft. I’d still do a semi-slow release–not natural, not quick–somewhere in between. Please let me know how it goes!
Anne says
Hi,
I’d like to try this recipe, it sounds delicious. But I wonder about the harissa…do you use all of this spices in one single meal, or do you mix the spices and then use just some of it (how much?) and keep the rest for later occasions?
Thanks:-)
Anne
Carol says
Hi, Anne,
Thanks for your question. Use as much or as little as you want on the stew. If you don’t like things spicy, you could leave off if you like. Hope you enjoy!
Mayamayamaya123 says
This was delicious . The combination of spices and the apricots was wonderful.
Carol says
Thank you so much! I appreciate the feedback and please stay in touch.
Lee says
This looks delicious. Could it be doubled or tripled for the pressure cooker? I don’t have one, although do have access to my mom’s old (’40’s or 50’s cooker) and have considered buying one.
Carol says
Hi, Lee,
Yes, it can be doubled. Pressure cookers have a limit as to how much liquid/contents you can place in them. There has to be some space left at the top. I highly recommend electric pressure cookers. (I have a Cuisinart.) You can set them and forget them and you free up a burner. Be careful of those old pressure cookers; they don’t have any safety measures built in. Thanks so much for your question. Let me know how it goes!
Gwen @SimplyHealthyFamily says
This looks amazing!! I’m not very knowledgable when it comes to cuts of beef since we don’t eat it very often so thanks for the tips. When I do make beef it would definitley be in something so flavorful like this! Saving and sharing 😉
Carol says
Thanks, Gwen! Some things Mom knew best, like cuts of beef! Do let me know if you try and how you like!