Temrika Meslalla (Garlic Beef & Olives)

By AllysKitchen

This was served to two of our good friends at dinner~~now these friends are truly Southerners, so I was slightly skeptical that they would take a hankerin’ to not only the different array of flavors, like lemon and beef and whole garlic heads, but also the different spices. I served this with forbidden or black rice with chiffonade green onions. I must say they could not get enough of it~~went back for seconds and thirds, and Fran even said it was the best dish she’d ever had! Wow! I was thrilled! To say the least, they’re now Temrika Meslalla lovers like Ben and me! It was a glorious evening of food, wine, great conversation, laughs, and a table setting that took us halfway ’round the world to Morocco!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 pounds beef cut in medium-large chunks (I used NY strip, which I sliced into strips on a bias. You can use beef chuck.)
• 1/4 cup flour (I used rice flour.)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon harissa
• 1/4 cup red wine (can substitute water or beef broth)
• 5 cups large chunk chopped tomatoes (about 2 lbs of tomatoes/mixing regular chunks and cherry tomatoes works, too. The Tomatoes provide liquid.)
• 1 cup green olives, with some juice
• 4 whole medium-sized garlic heads with papery outer skins removed
• 1/2 lemon juice/zest
• 1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from allyskitchen.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large heavy skillet (Dutch oven or enameled casserole) over medium high heat, put olive oil. Salt and pepper the meat then coat in the flour.

Put meat in the skillet and brown cooking about 5 minutes. Sprinkle on cumin, paprika and harissa and toss/coat the beef. Add wine to deglaze the skillet. Turn off heat.

Add tomatoes, olives and nestle the garlic heads in with the mixture. Cover tightly (so liquids from tomates don’t cook out/you can place a piece of doubled foil on the skillet then the lid to make it airtight) and put in preheated 350 oven for about 60-75 minutes.

Remove and zest the lemon on the beef. Squeeze the juice all around. Toss and blend. Garnish with parsley. Serve right from the hot skillet. Have plenty of crusty hot bread for dipping in the sauce/’gravy’!