Lamb Tagine is my pick of all tagines! The ras el hanout spice mix is sheer perfection with lamb, and slow cooking works wonders to develop rich flavours in the sauce. Serve over couscous for a stunning Moroccan meal. Your house will smell amazing!

Lamb Tagine

I’ve done chicken and vegetable tagine. Now it’s time to meet my favourite tagine child: LAMB TAGINE!

Arabic spice mixes and lamb are just a match made in heaven, a combination I’ve not shied away from exploring. Proof: Moroccan backstrap, Harira Soup, Shawarma shoulder, Lamb Shawarma chickpea soup, Moroccan lamb meatballs. (And all my Moroccan recipes here)

Not sure why it’s taken me so long to share the mother of all Moroccan lamb dishes – tagine. This is a stunner. Fork-tender meat, richly spiced sauce, studded with sweet apricots and finished with a good handful of toasted almonds. And the smell when it’s cooking! Swoon….

Heads up – the sauce is thick and richly spiced!

The sauce of this Lamb Tagine is reduced until thick which means intense flavour which I think is essential for lamb which is one of the stronger flavoured proteins. Think of all the spices and lamb juices reduced and concentrated – you know it’s going to be good!

Here’s what it looks like before and after the slow cooking:

Ingredients in Lamb Tagine

Here’s what you need to make Lamb Tagine.

Best lamb for tagine

The best lamb to use for lamb tagine is lamb shoulder. It’s a tough cut of meat that is made for slow cooking that’s marbled with fat so it’s beautifully juicy. Sometimes it is generically sold as “lamb stew meat”.

I personally don’t think there’s any other cut of lamb that works as well. Lamb shank meat would be the next best but you’d need to cut the meat off the bone and the shape of the pieces won’t be as uniform, so some will cook faster than others.

Boneless lamb leg would probably be my next pick but it’s leaner than shoulder so it wouldn’t be as juicy.

Other meat cuts – For non-lamb options, beef chuck, boneless beef ribs, pork shoulder and pork scotch fillet (aka collar butt and pork neck) would work well. For chicken, see my Chicken Tagine recipe, and I’ve also got a Vegetable Tagine (it’s so good!).

Ras el hanout Spice mix for lamb tagine

The spice blend for tagine is called ras el hanout and it’s made with common spices you may already have. You can buy blends but I much prefer to make my own to get the right balance of flavours. Here’s what you need:

I also use ras el hanout for chicken and vegetable tagines but the blend is slightly different. For example, because lamb has a stronger flavour than vegetables, the spice blend is stronger.

The nice thing here is that because we’re using a fair few different spices here, it’s not the end of the world if you’re missing one … or even two. I’ve offered a few switch-out options in the recipe notes!

and everything else for the tagine

And here are the other ingredients you need to make lamb tagine:

• Garlic, onion and ginger – Aromatic flavour base. Don’t skip the ginger!

• Cinnamon sticks – A spice traditionally used in Middle Eastern cooking and makes the flavour so special. You can substituted with a little powder but cinnamon sticks works better. It’s a little more subtle and earthier.

• Chicken stock/broth – The braising liquid. Traditionally water is used, but stock makes it tastier! Note: Chicken stock is used rather than lamb stock because the flavour is “cleaner”. Lamb stock is not sold at grocery stores, and there’s a reason for that – because it’s very…well, lamb! We get enough lamb flavour in this sauce from the lamb pieces.

• Dried apricots – Some versions of tagine are made with olives, others use dried fruit, others still may use both. I’ve opted for fruit because tagines are one of the few dishes I love that pairs fruit with meat! I also think the orange colour of the apricots looks lovely in the sauce.

  However, the recipe includes the olive option too.

• Tomato paste – This is what is used to thicken the sauce and add a touch of flavour. We don’t use enough to make it tomatoey, it’s very subtle.

• Lemon – Some tagines use preserved lemon (like in my chicken tagine) but for lamb, fresh lemon zest is beautiful. Also – cheaper.

• Slivered almonds and coriander/cilantro – Garnish for serving. A good amount of both works!

How to make Lamb Tagine

Very straight forward – brown the lamb, sauté aromatics, plonk everything in then slow cook for 1 hour 45 minutes until the lamb is fall-apart tender!

1. Brown lamb – Cut the lamb into large 3.5cm / 1.5″ cubes so they don’t become fall-apart tender too quickly. Cooking long and slow = more flavour in the sauce and it needs the time to reduce and thicken!

   Toss the lamb in salt and pepper, brown in three batches (don’t crowd the pot else the lamb will stew instead of brown) then remove into a bowl.

   Use a large oven-proof pot with a lid, so it can go from the stove to oven. My dutch oven pictured is 24cm / 9.5″ wide.

2. Sauté aromatics – Cook the garlic and onion first, then the tomato paste, ginger, cinnamon and spices. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly, to cook out the raw flavour of the tomato paste and toast the spices which brings out the flavour.

3. Braising liquid and lamb – Add the chicken stock, water and lamb, then bring it to a simmer.

4. First cook 45 minutes – Put the lid on and transfer to a 180°F/350°F (160°C fan-forced) oven for 45 minutes.

5. Add apricots then stir them in. We add them in partway through else they get too soft.

6. Cook another 1 hour – Put the lid on then return the tagine to the oven for a further 1 hour, or until the lamb pieces are fork tender.

7. Thick and full of flavour – Here’s what the lamb tagine looks like after 1 hour 45 minutes of slow cooking. The sauce has reduced down to a thick consistency, rich with spicing and a beautiful depth of flavour you can only achieve from slow cooking.

8. Serve over couscous. I just use plain couscous for this tagine because it’s got so much flavour in it, rather than one with fruit and nuts in it.

That close up photo above does me every time, remembering the richness of the flavour of the sauce and how tender that lamb is. Tender, but not mushy, we’re not making baby food here.

The dried apricot adds beautiful pops of sweetness as well as sweetening the sauce a touch.

And finishing with fresh lemon zest is just sheer perfection. Please don’t skip that! – Nagi x

PS Also don’t skip the good handful of toasted almonds for serving, it’s also the perfect finishing touch!

Watch how to make it

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Lamb tagine

Recipe video above. My favourite of all tagines! The ras el hanout spice mix is sheer perfection with lamb, and slow cooking works wonders to develop rich flavours in the sauce and make the lamb fork tender. Serve over couscous for a stunning Moroccan meal. Your house will smell amazing!

-> Also see Chicken and Vegetable Tagine.

Course Mains

Cuisine Moroccan, North African

Keyword lamb tagine

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 5 people

Calories 442cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Use one of these lambs (Note 1):

• 1.6 kg/ 3.2lb boneless lamb shoulder, trim the fat, then cut in 3.5cm / 1.5" cubes (1kg/2lb after trimming)
• 1 kg / 2 lb lamb stewing meat or shoulder, already trimmed of fat cut in 3.5cm / 1.5" cubes

Tagine:

• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 2 brown onions , diced (1cm / 0.3″ cubes)
• 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 1 cup dried apricots , whole (Note 2 for olives option)
• 2 – 3 tsp lemon zest (just use 1 whole lemon, Note 3 for preserved lemon)

Ras el hanout (Note 4):

• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 1/2 tsp fennel powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (can reduce for less spicy – Note 4)
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt

For serving:

• 1/2 cup slivered almonds , toasted (Note 5)
• 1/2 cup coriander/cilantro leaves roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 batches couscous (I just use plain, but you can add the fruit and nuts if you want)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°F/350°F (160°C fan). (Note 6 re: other cook methods)
• Spice mix – Mix the ingredients in a bowl then set aside.
• Brown lamb – Toss lamb with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof dutch oven (with a lid) over high heat. Brown the lamb in 3 batches, turning to colour the pieces all over, about 3 minutes. Remove into a bowl, then repeat with remaining lamb. Set aside.
• Aromatics – Turn heat down to medium high. Add onion and garlic, cook for 3 minutes until soft. Add tomato paste, ginger, cinnamon and spice mix. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Sauce – Add chicken stock and water, stir, then return the lamb into the pot.
• Slow cook 1 hr 45 min – Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid then cook in the oven for 45 minutes. Add apricots, put the lid back on and cook for another 1 hour, checking halfway to ensure the sauce hasn't reduced all the way (if you're concerned, add 1/2 cup water).
• Lemon finish – Lamb should be tender – check! Gently stir in lemon zest.
• Serve over plain couscous, sprinkled with almonds and coriander.

Notes

1. Lamb shoulder is a tough cut of meat that needs to be slow cooked to become tender. Ultra juicy, it’s one of my favourite lamb cuts! But it’s FATTY. You will need to get a 1.6kg / 3.2lb boneless piece to end up with 1kg / 2lb for cooking after trimming fat.

Or, use 1 kg/2 lb lamb stewing meat or lamb shoulder that’s already trimmed. Try not to use pre-cut because the pieces are usually too small and become fall-apart too quickly, before the sauce reduces enough & develops flavour.

Other suitable meats – Lamb shanks meat, could also be used (1 kg/2lb exc bone), or beef chuck. See here for chicken tagine and here for vegetable tagine.

2. Dates are also commonly used so feel free to substitute. I like the sweetness and colour of apricots with lamb.

Olives is also used in tagines – if you prefer olives to dried fruit, use 1 heaped cup of green olives.

3.Lemon zest v preserved lemon which is often traditionally used in tagines (lemon pickled salt) which I use for chicken tagine. For lamb, I actually prefer lemon zest which is fresher I think works well with lamb which is richer than chicken. But you can use preserved lemon if you prefer, same amount, zest only (not flesh or pith), follow directions in chicken tagine for how to prep.

4. Ras el hanout – the traditional spice mix used for tagines. You won’t be left lacking if you are missing a spice (maybe even two), just make up for it by dialling up the ones you have.

Spiciness – It’s not spicy but has an unmissable warm hum, the cayenne can be reduced or omitted.

5. Toast slivered almonds– heat small pan over medium high heat (no oil) then toss almonds for two minutes until light golden. Remove and set aside.

6. Tagine is best cooked in the oven. Sauce is thick is risky on stove, the regular stirring required causes meat to fall apart into sauce. Slow cooker doesn’t allow for liquid evaporation so sauce doesn’t reduce, also you don’t get caramelisation on the surface/edges that adds flavour. See blue box in the post for more info!

7. Sauce reduction – The sauce of this tagine is meant to be thick, this concentrates the flavour and is what makes this tagine so good!. However, a reader reported the sauce reduced too much in the bake time – possibly could happen if lid is not heavy (evaporation), or oven runs hot. As a safeguard, I increased the stock liquid slightly, and call for a check halfway through to ensure there’s still enough liquid. 

8. Storage – 4 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer. If making for company, can highly recommend making it the day before as it will develop more flavour overnight. Reheat in the oven only (150C/300F – 130C fan). Stove is too risky, re: burnt base.

Nutrition per serving excluding couscous.

Nutrition

Calories: 442cal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 860mg | Potassium: 1040mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1199IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 5mg

More Moroccan stunners!

Chicken Tagine

Moroccan Harira Soup With Lamb

Vegetable Tagine

Couscous

Moroccan Lamb Meatballs

Moroccan lamb backstrap

Moroccan lamb backstrap

Easy Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant (beef or lamb)

Moroccan

Life of Dozer

Dozer and I spent the weekend in Mudgee, a regional NSW town 3 1/2 hours from Sydney. We went for the local Readers’ Festival and dropped by the local book store (Book Nest Mudgee) as well as doing a lunch talk at a beautiful restaurant on a working farm called Blue Wren.

There was a professional photographer there so I was going to hold off until I could share those – because the venue was so stunning, everyone was frocked up, the food and wine was incredible, it was just perfection, so I want to share nice photos that do it justice! But I can’t resist sharing a few behind the scenes pics…

1. Having a serious talk with Dozer before the doors opened about not stealing food from the table:

2. At the end of the lunch, a photo with the incredible Blue Wren Farm team. And Dozer, after 5 hours of photos with lunch guests, was completely done. 😂 What a brat!!!

The post Lamb Tagine appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Sweater weather is officially here – let’s get cosy with Goulash! This Hungarian recipe is a slow cooked beef soup or stew that’s boldly flavoured with stacks of paprika which makes the sauce a deep, vibrant red colour. Think traditional beef stew – with extra character!

Goulash

If you think Hungary and think hearty food, then Goulash is probably exactly what comes to mind. Unsurprising given it is Hungary’s greatest food export!

Is it a stew? Is it a soup? It sort of lies between the two in terms of the amount of broth vs the stuff in it. Though one noticeable thing about traditional Goulash is that the broth is thinner than what you think of with stews, and it’s not thickened with flour or cream. Also, it’s not typically served over mash like stews, it’s served in bowls like soup.

As for flavour, I describe it as a beef stew with a sauce that reminds me of chorizo flavours thanks to a big hit of paprika and savouriness from a good amount of garlic, capsicum (bell peppers) and onion. It’s really, really good. Bolder than typical beef stew!

Note on authenticity: This is a recipe that is intended to respect traditional Hungarian Goulash. But as with all such recipes, every cook and every family has their own version. I am sure some Hungarians will disagree on something I’ve included! Please share your thoughts below but know that I did do my research!

Ingredients in Hungarian Goulash

Two things you’ll observe when you make this:

1. A LOT of paprika. Flavour and sauce colour!

2. A LOT of vegetables. 2 each onions, capsicum/bell peppers, carrots, tomato, potatoes. Flavour and heartiness!

Beef, spices and sauce

• Beef – The classic beef cut to use is beef chuck which is a tough cut of meat that becomes meltingly tender when slow cooked. If you can, get a single piece so you can cut it into cubes of the size we want, else get a thick steak. Always look for beef that is nicely marbled with fat. All too often, the grocery stores ones are disturbingly lean. We want the fat marbled throughout, it makes the beef so tender and juicy!

  Substitute – Beef osso bucco (boneless) and beef cheeks. The meat cubes will twist and buckle more once cooked but these are actually juicier than chuck. Gravy beef and brisket will also work but meat is a little leaner.

• Paprika – Use Hungarian or Hungarian-style if you can, the paprika is smoother and sweeter than ordinary paprika. Don’t use hot paprika – we’re using lots of paprika here, it will be way too spicy! Smoked paprika will make the sauce a little too smokey, though you could mix-and-match a little if you want.

• Caraway seeds – A traditional spice used in Goulash used in central European cooking. Not the end of the world if you don’t have it but you’ll love the little unique pops of flavour if you do!

• Beef stock/broth – The liquid used to make the sauce. Traditionally water was used, but no one can deny that using stock makes the sauce a whole lot tastier! I personally would not make this with water. If you use homemade beef stock, you could sell bowls of this for a pretty penny.

• Butter and oil – The fat for sautéing. I like to use both so you get the best of both worlds – butter for flavour, oil for effective searing (butter is ~15% water and susceptible to burning at high heats).

• Bay leaf – For flavour. Fresh if you can, or dried (pictured).

We don’t need flour to thicken the sauce – see next paragraph.

The vegetables

Some recipes use flour to thicken the sauce. I don’t find that necessary if you use fresh tomatoes rather than canned tomatoes, as they break down to thicken the sauce. It also makes the stew sauce taste less tomatoey which lets the paprika and other flavours come through more.

• Onion and garlic – flavour base.

• Capsicum/bell peppers – One each red and yellow if you can, or 2 red. Don’t underestimate the flavour this brings to the sauce! You can substitute the potato and carrot but don’t skip capsicum!

• Tomatoes – These break down to naturally thicken the sauce rather than using flour.

• Carrot and potato – Vegetable adds ins that fills it out. Feel free to switch with other root vegetables such as celeriac, parsnip, or even non-root vegetables like green beans. Note: These get added at the end of the cook time so the potato doesn’t disintegrate.

• Parsley – optional garnish

How to make Goulash

Usually, stews will call for beef cubes to be browned first, removed, then added back into the pot after sautéing the vegetables. Goulash goes all in. I doubted it at first but when I saw it go all stewy and the flavours mingling together before I even got to the slow cooking part, I understood.

And when I tasted the finished dish, it sealed the deal!

1. Cut beef into nice size chunks then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Cook onion first for 6 minutes until the edges are light golden.

3. Cook beef – Next, add the beef all in one go and stir until the surfaces changes from red to brown. You won’t be browning on the beef because there’s too much in the pot and that’s just how it’s supposed to be. All the flavours meld and come together in the next steps!

4. Add garlic, capsicum and tomato. Stir for 3 minutes to coat the vegetables in all the flavour in the pot. The tomato will mostly breakdown – it will break down completing during the slow cooking phase and thicken the sauce.

5. Spices – Add paprika, caraway and bay leaf. Stir for 30 seconds to coat everything in the tasty flavours.

6. Simmer – Add beef stock, stir, bring to simmer.

7. Slow cook – Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 1 1/2 hours. At this stage the beef should be pretty tender but not quite “fall-apart”, there’s still another 30 minutes to go. Stir in carrot and potatoes then cook for another 30 minutes. By this time, the potatoes (if you cut them the exact size I specify!!) should be soft and the beef should be “fall-apart”.

8. Serve – Sprinkle with parsley if you’re feeling fancy then ladle into bowls!

That’s Friday’s cheese bread pictured above, being dunked into the Goulash. Though you could do ordinary crusty Artisan bread. Both are no-knead, no stand-mixer, 3 minute dough making situations. Not mandatory…..but any kind of bread elevates soup-stew eating experiences, right??! – Nagi x

PS One final point – as with any stewy / slow-cooked recipes, Goulash tastes even better the next day. Completely and utterly company-worthy.

Watch how to make it

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Goulash (Hungarian beef stew)

Recipe video above. The national dish of Hungary! Boldly flavoured with stacks of paprika, lots of onion, garlic and capsicum/bell peppers, with fall apart hunks of beef. It's sort of a stew, sort of a soup. The broth is not supposed to be as thick as typical stews. It's naturally thickened slightly using fresh tomatoes that break down into the sauce.

Serve like soup in bowls with bread for dunking. (Try cheese bread. Obsessed!).

Course Mains

Cuisine European, Hungarian

Keyword goulash, hungarian goulash recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Calories 574cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 kg/2 lb beef chuck , cut in 3.5cm / 1.5″ cubes (Note 1)
• 1 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp/ 30g unsalted butter
• 2 brown onions , cut into 1cm / 1/2″ squares
• 5 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 2 capsicum/bell peppers (1 red + 1 yellow), cut into 2 cm / 0.8″ squares
• 2 tomatoes , cut into 8 wedges then in half
• 1/4 cup Hungarian-style paprika (sub ordinary paprika, Note 2)
• 1 tsp caraway seeds , optional (Note 3)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 litre / 4 cups beef stock/broth , low-sodium
• 2 carrots , peeled, cut in quarters lengthwise then into 1cm / 0.4″ pieces
• 2 potatoes , cut into 1.2cm / 1/2″ cubes
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley , optional garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan), though you can use your slow cooker or stove instead (oven easiest! Note 4).
• Season beef – Toss the beef with half the salt and pepper.
• Cook onion – Heat the oil and melt the butter in a large oven-proof dutch oven over high heat. Cook onion for 6 minutes until the edges are light golden.
• Cook beef – Add the beef and stir until the outside changes from red to brown, about 2 minutes. It won't go golden brown, it's not supposed to.
• Add vegetables – Add garlic, capsicum and tomato. Stir for 3 minutes – the tomato will mostly breakdown.
• Add paprika, caraway and bay leaf. Stir for 30 seconds.
• Slow cook – Add beef stock, stir, bring to simmer. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
• Add potato – The beef should be pretty tender but not quite "fall-apart". Stir in carrot and potatoes. Return to oven, covered, for another 30 minutes. Beef should now be "fall-apart" – if not, return to the oven for 10 minutes at a time.
• Serve – Ladle goulash into bowls and sprinkle with parsley. Eat as is, with optional bread for dunking! (Pictured with cheese bread)

Notes

1. Beef – Also great with beef osso bucco (boneless) and beef cheeks. Gravy beef and brisket will also work but meat is a little leaner.

2. Paprika – Use Hungarian or Hungarian-style if you can, the paprika is smoother than sweeter than ordinary paprika. Don’t use hot paprika – we’re using lots of paprika here, it will be way too spicy!

3. Caraway seeds – a traditional spice used in Goulash used in central European cooking.

4. Cook methods – Oven is my preferred because you get caramelisation on edges/surface = extra flavour but no worries about base catching like with the stove.

Stove – Use ultra low stove heat, covered, for 1.5 hours. Stir every now and then to ensure base does not catch. Add potato and carrot, then cook 30 min.

Slow cooker – 6 hours on low, add potato and carrot, 2 hours on low.

5. Leftovers – As with all stews, this gets better overnight. Leftovers will keep for 4 to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 574cal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 1361mg | Potassium: 1918mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 8879IU | Vitamin C: 91mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 7mg

Life of Dozer

Office bathroom. Now doubles as Dozer’s playroom. Staff who walked into this had a good laugh!!

The post Hungarian Goulash (beef stew-soup) appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Mexican Chipotle Pork and Beans is a big pot of saucy, shreddable meat in a rich, spicy, chipotle sauce. Pork shoulder is slow cooked into fall-apart submission with meaty lima beans that absorbs the bold flavoured sauce. Stuff in tacos, serve over red rice, or eat like stew!

Mexican Chipotle Pork and Beans

This food is me on a plate.

Well, in a pot.

Hunks of juicy meat that’s so tender, it’s barely holding together when you scoop it out. A bold sauce that’s spicy, tangy and deeply savoury. Big creamy beans littered throughout that’s absorbed the flavour of the sauce, making beans tastier and dreamier than you ever imagined possible.

That it’s straightforward to make is a (big) bonus. It’s just like making a stew. In fact, that’s my favourite way to serve this – ladled into bowls like stew, except with tortillas on the side for dunking instead of serving it over the usual mash!

Ingredients in Mexican Chipotle Pork and Bean

Here’s what you need to make big pot of Mexican deliciousness!

Seasoned pork

This dish is made with pork shoulder which is an economical tough cut of meat that needs to be slow cooked to fall-apart tenderness. I just use cumin to flavour it before searing because the pork absorbs so much flavour while it’s slow cooking, it really doesn’t need much on the surface!

The chipotle sauce (and beans!)

And here’s what you need to make the rich chipotle sauce that the pork is braised in. Flavour to the max!!

• Chipotle in adobo (photo below) – The hero ingredient, I adore this Mexican sauce! It’s made with chipotles which are rehydrated and canned in a tangy, spicy red sauce that packs a load of flavour. (Chipotles are smoked, dried jalapeños).

  In this recipe, we’re using both the chipotles and sauce (some recipes only use one or the other) and pureeing the chipotles for maximum flavour release and to make a smooth sauce.

  Where to find it – Those of you in the States are lucky enough to find chipotle in adobo virtually “everywhere”! In Australia – find it in the Mexican aisle of large grocery stores (Coles, Woolies), Harris Farms, as well as independent grocers. I use La Morena which I buy from Harris Farms – $3.29 for 200g/7 oz (we use the whole can).

• Butter beans (aka lima beans) – The big, fat, meaty beans you always see at the store that you wonder what to do with. Well, now you know! 😂 Feel free to substitute with other beans, though I do think creamy beans work better than smaller, firm ones like black beans, chickpeas etc.

  Why canned instead of dried beans? I find that the cook time for dried beans (especially large ones like butter beans) can vary quite drastically depending on the age, size and quality of the beans. Which means for dishes like this, sometimes the beans are done before the pork is, sometimes they are still hard when the pork is done. It’s not too bad pulling the pork out and leaving the beans to cook for longer. But it is a pain to take the beans out to continue cooking the pork! So, canned is my preference here.

• Orange juice – Yes! A secret ingredient used in Mexican cooking to add sweetness and more flavour than just adding sugar into things (eg carnitas, fajitas). Doesn’t make it taste orangey because once it’s slow cooked, the flavour completely transforms.

• Chicken stock – For the braising liquid. Low sodium please, otherwise your dish might end up too salty.

• Tomato paste – For flavour and thickening. It’s sautéed to cook out the raw, sour flavour before mixing into the braising liquid.

• Herbs and spices – Nothing unusual here! Oregano, coriander, allspice, bay leaves.

• Onion and garlic – Flavour base.

How to make Chipotle pork and beans

This recipe starts off by searing the pork on the stove before transferring to the oven to braise until the pork is fall-apart tender, giving the sauce time to develop fabulous deep, savoury flavour.

1. Puree the chipotle in adobo using a stick blender. The chipotle is really soft so it literally takes seconds.

2. Season pork – Cut the pork into 6 equal pieces, for ease of handling to sear, more surface area for browning and so they cook faster than a whole pork shoulder. Then sprinkle with the cumin, salt and pepper.

3. Brown the pork in two batches, using a heavy based oven-proof pot. Rotate the pork to brown all over. Remember, colour = flavour! Once done, remove the pork onto a plate.

4. Sauté sauce flavour base – Using the same pot, sauté the garlic, onion, dried herbs and spices. Sautéing dried herbs and spices is a neat trick for getting extra flavour out of them – it makes them “bloom”.

   Next, cook off the tomato paste followed by the pureed chipotle in adobo. Cooking off pastes is a great flavour trick as it intensifies flavour as well as taking off the raw, sour edge. It also depends the savoury flavour so you get more out of less!

5. Braising liquid – Add all the remaining ingredients except the beans into the sauce – the orange juice, stock, spices and bay leaves. The beans are added later else they will overcook and become too mushy.

   Give it all a good mix then place the pork in, along with any juices pooled on the plate (never waste free flavour!). Arrange the pork as best you can so they are submerged under the liquid. But don’t worry if there’s some of the surface poking above because it will steam-cook and also the pork will shrink as it cooks so it will eventually sink below the surface.

6. Slow cook – Put the lid on and transfer to the oven to slow cook for 2 hours at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). This temperature might sound high for slow cooking but it equates to a gentle simmer on the stove, which is suitable for slow cooking meats.

   Other cook methods – 6 hours in a slow cooker on low or 2 hours on the stove.

7. Beans – Remove the pot from the oven. The pork should be pretty much fork tender by this stage. Add the beans and push them in as best you can under the liquid.

8. Bake uncovered – Return the pot to the oven to bake uncovered for 30 minutes to caramelise the surface which adds extra flavour. Also by this stage, the pork should be tender enough so you can pry it apart using two forks without any effort at all.

   If you used your slow cooker or the stove, I do recommend doing this final step in the oven because the caramelising of the surface does add extra flavour!

And that’s it! To serve, just scoop up pieces of pork and beans, and ladle into bowls or onto a plate for serving. See below for ways to eat this pot of fall-apart-spicy-meaty-beany deliciousness!

How to serve Chipotle Pork and Beans

As I mentioned at the beginning, my favourite way. to serve Chipotle Pork and Beans is in a bowl like stew. Just use a spoon or fork to cut off bits of pork (which takes barely a touch!) then get a big scoop with beans and plenty of sauce.

I like to add a bit of avocado and sprinkle of coriander/cilantro for freshness, and tortillas for dunking / bowl mopping is essential in my world.

Having said that, here are some other options – all dish worthy!

1. Served over Mexican red rice – or put a big Mexican plate together with Mexican corn cobs (pictured above).

2. As a taco filling with your toppings of choice! It’s pictured above with avocado slices, finely chopped white onion, fresh coriander/cilantro leaves and lime wedges. There’s no need for a separate sauce – this is saucy enough as is!

3. Burritos to die for! Switch the chicken in this burrito recipe.

4. Shred up the pork and mix it up into the sauce with the beans. Then use it to make a giant nachos (switch out the chicken in this nachos recipe), as an enchilada filling, make tostada or simply scoop up with corn chips.

5. Turn it into a hearty soup – Add extra chicken stock/broth to thin the sauce and make it less intense, so it becomes suitable to be a soup broth. Then serve it as soup!

So many possibilities! What do you think? Which serving option appeals to you? – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Mexican Chipotle Pork and Beans

Recipe video above. This is a big pot of saucy, shreddable meat in a rich, spicy, chipotle sauce. Pork shoulder is slow cooked into fall-apart submission with meaty lima beans that absorbs the bold flavoured sauce.

Stuff in tacos, serve over red rice, eat like stew!

SPICE NOTE: This sauce is spicy. Not off-the-charts spicy, but it has a good kick! If you're concerned, remove half the chillis from the can of chipotle in adobo (as the chillies are where the spiciness is). If you're still worried, best to give this a miss because chipotle in adobo IS spicy!!

Course Mains

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword chipotle pork, mexican pork

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 – 8 people

Calories 323cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Pork:

• 1.5kg / 3lb pork shoulder (skinless, boneless), cut into 6 equal pieces (Note 1)
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp cumin powder

Sauce:

• 200g / 7 oz chipotle in adobo – the chillis + sauce (Note 2)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup orange juice (real, not reconstituted sweetened stuff – Note 3)
• 2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 2 bay leaves (fresh, else dried)
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 3 x 420g / 16 oz canned butter beans / lima beans , or other of choice (Note 4)

Dried herbs & spices

• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp allspice powder

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
• SPICINESS – Read note above about spiciness!
• Puree chipotle in adobo until smooth using a stick blender or similar.
• Sprinkle pork all over with salt, pepper and cumin.
• Brown pork – Heat all the oil in a large oven-proof pot over high heat. Brown the pork all over in 2 batches, the remove onto a plate (~ 1 minute each side).
• Sauté – Cool the pot slightly then return to medium heat. If the pot looks dry, add 1 tbsp oil. Sauté onion, garlic, the herbs & spices for 3 minutes.
• Cook off tomato & chipotle – Add tomato paste and cook it off for 2 minutes. Add chipotle puree and cook for 2 minutes.
• Slow cook 2 hours – Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT beans. Stir, then bring to simmer. Place pork in – arrange so its submerged as best as possible. Cover with lid. Place in oven for 2 hours. (Note 6 other cook methods)
• Add beans, cook 30 min – Remove lid, add beans. Return to oven for 30 minutes without lid to caramelise the surface. The pork will be fork-tender!
• Serve like stew over Mexican red rice or with tortillas for dunking. Or make wickedly food tacos with finely chopped white onion, fresh coriander/cilantro, avocado slices and a squeeze of lime. More serving options above the recipe video.

Notes

1. Pork shoulder – Tough cut of meat made for slow cooking into fall apart submission. Chuck beef and boneless beef ribs will also work great!

2. Chipotle in adobo – smoked, dried jalapeños (chipotles) that are rehydrated and canned in a tangy, spicy red sauce that packs a load of flavour. In this recipe, we’re using both the chipotles and sauce (some recipes only use one or the other) and pureeing the chipotles for maximum flavour release.

3. Orange juice is used sparingly like stock in Mexican cooking. It doesn’t make it taste orangey, it adds a touch of sweetness and more flavour than just using sugar.

4. Beans – I realise butter beans are not authentic but I love how big and meaty they are, it just works with the succulent pork! Pinto or black beans would be a more strictly authentic choice for Mexican cooking, though honestly, any type of beans will work here.

5. Other cook methods: Slow cooker 6 hours on low or 2 hours on the stove on a low heat, stirring every now and then to ensure the base doesn’t catch.

However, the final 30 minutes in the oven is recommended no matter what slow cook method you use as it caramelises the surface (flavour boost!) and reduces the sauce.

6. Store in the fridge for 4 days, or freezer for 3 months.

Nutrition per serving assuming 8.

Nutrition

Calories: 323cal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1079mg | Potassium: 820mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 217IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 5mg

Life of Dozer

The Coronation of Prince Edward Dozer Maehashi the first.

The post Mexican Chipotle Pork & Beans appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This chickpea stew owes its speed and deliciousness to chorizo. It injects a stack of flavour into the thick sauce, and biting into glorious chunks of golden brown chorizo will probably be the best thing that happens to you today. Let’s put chorizo in everything!!

A quick-to-make chorizo chickpea stew

I know you ordinarily associate the word “stew” with hours of slow cooking. But in today’s dish, it’s a 15 minute simmer and the end result is something that resembles a stew to me. So although we’ve made it in a fraction of the time, I’m sticking with the name!

Despite the speed, you will not feel robbed of flavour by any stretch of the imagination thanks to chorizo, the powerful little flavour packed Spanish sausages that are the hero of today’s dish. (Sorry chickpeas, but it’s true).

We sauté chorizo slices until golden brown before braising in a tomato-based stew sauce for a mere 15 minutes to infuse the sauce with chorizo flavour. Chickpeas add bulk and texture to the dish, and I love how they too absorb the chorizo flavour!

What you need

Here’s what you need for this chorizo chickpea stew:

• Chorizo – The well seasoned cured sausage from Spain is the hero of the dish today (sorry chickpeas!). You get great bang for your buck with chorizo – so much flavour packed into a little sausage. Find them at the deli or in the cured meats section of the fridge.

  Alternatives – Any smoked sausage (like kranskey’s, German sausages etc).

  Tip – Get extra and make everybody’s favourite smoked sausage and rice, or a big paella!

• Chickpeas – We’re just going canned today, for convenience, for this quick ‘n easy meal. Just crack open that can!

• Crushed tomato – This is already kind of smushed so it breaks down more easily into a thick sauce compared to, say, diced tomato which has larger chunks. Diced tomato will work too though, you just may want to simmer for a bit longer to let them break down a bit. If you only have whole canned tomato, crush them with your hands or use a potato masher before putting the pot.

• Chicken stock/broth – I like to use low sodium so I can control the salt in this. We do get quite a bit of salt from the chorizo so it really is better to use low-salt stock.

  Vegetable stock also works, but chicken stock does give the stew sauce deeper flavour.

• Bay leaf, thyme and smoked paprika – Herb and spice flavours for the sauce. Sautéed with the chorizo to bring out toasty flavour before adding the liquids. Great trick to get more flavour into your dishes – toast those herbs and spices!

• Garlic – This dish was never going to happen without garlic!

How to make chorizo chickpea stew

Stew-like results with stir-fry speed! OK, fine, that’s a wee bit of an exaggeration. It takes longer than a stir-fry. 😂 But it’s MUCH faster than traditional stews!!!

Sauté the chorizo until golden. Toast the spices for 1 minute. Tip in the chickpeas and tomato then simmer for 15 minutes. Stew. Done!

1. Sauté chorizo slices in a little oil until beautifully golden and caramelised. Don’t be tempted to shortcut this step! The chorizo tastes so much better when it’s browned, plus we want to coax the tasty highly flavourful oil out of the chorizo so it can flavour everything else in this dish!

2. Sauté herbs & spices – Once the chorizo is golden, add the bay leaf, thyme and paprika. Toast it for a minute, inhaling deeply to enjoy the smell! It really is so good. (Oh, and we toast the herbs and spices to bring extra flavour out of them. Not just so we can enjoy the smell! 😂).

3. Add everything else – Add the chickpeas, tomato, chicken stock, salt and pepper, then give it all a good stir.

4. Simmer for 15 minutes with the lid off until the sauce thickens. Then that’s it! Ready to serve.

Serve with crusty bread for dunking, for a quick ‘n easy meal (suggestion: everybody’s favourite no-knead Crusty Artisan Bread), or flatbreads for scooping.

Alternatively, serve it over a starchy vehicle of choice, such as mashed potato (mashed cauliflower for a low-carb option), couscous or small pasta (like orzo/risoni, orecchiette, small macaroni).

For a quick salad or vegetable side, use whatever greens you have in the fridge, raw or steamed, and toss with my Everyday Salad Dressing. Or browse all vegetable sides to find something that inspires!

Dinner. Done. How fast was that??? And just wait until you taste it! You are going to be amazed how much flavour is packed into that pot of stewy deliciousness for such an easy dish.

Such is the miracle of chorizo. So much power packed into one little sausage.

Enjoy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Chorizo chickpea stew (fast)

Recipe video above. This is a great, hearty, full flavoured Spanish-inspired stew that's quick to make. Chorizo is the shortcut here, adds a ton of flavour into the sauce!

Serve this as a chunky soup with crusty bread for mopping, flatbreads for dunking, or like stew over a bed of couscous, small pasta (like orzo/risoni, orecchiette), mashed potato or cauliflower puree. For an extra hit of protein, top with a fried egg. YUM!

Serves 2 hearty appetites, or 3 normal appetites.

Course Mains

Cuisine Spanish, Spanish Style, Western

Keyword chickpea stew, chorizo recipe

Prep Time 7 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2 – 3 people

Calories 370cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 250g / 8 oz chorizo (2 pieces) , cut into 8mm / 1/3″ slices (Note 1)
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (sub normal paprika)
• 1 bay leaf , preferably fresh, otherwise dried
• 400g / 14oz can crushed tomato
• 400g/14 oz can chickpeas , drained (or other beans of choice)
• 1 cup chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Sauté chorizo – Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or small pot over medium high heat. Add chorizo and cook for 3 minutes or until golden.
• Sauté aromatics – Add garlic, thyme, paprika and bay leaf, then stir for 1 minute.
• Add everything else – Add tomato, chickpeas, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a simmer then lower the heat down to medium low so it is simmering very gently.
• Cook for 15 minutes (no lid), stirring regularly to ensure the base does not catch, until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
• Serve – Discard bay leaf and serve. I love this with hot crusty bread (slathered with butter!).

Notes

1. Chorizo are Spanish cured sausages readily found in everyday grocery stores, deli or fridge section. Packs a load of flavour, very good bang for your buck. Usually around 125g/4oz each so you’ll need 2. Dish will work fine if you are slightly over or under.

Alternatives – Other smoked sausages will work a treat here. You just want something with loads of flavour as it’s used to add flavour into the sauce.

2. Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer.

3. Nutrition assumes 3 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 370cal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 428mg | Potassium: 505mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 769IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 4mg

Life of Dozer

When Dozer visited One Meal Northern Beaches early one morning before the volunteers started arriving (this was 6 am!). This is where the meals we make at RecipeTin Meals (my food bank) is donated during the week. I have a team of 3 full time cooks (chef + 2 kitchen hands) who make homemade meals from scratch, 5 days a week. Many recipes from this website!

The post Chorizo chickpea stew (quick!) appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.