Tanjia Marrakchia

Ingredients

• 1.4 kg beef or lamb shank, cut into large chunks on the bone
• 10 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
• 2 preserved lemons
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ras el hanout
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• Large pinch saffron threads
• 60 g smen, or 60 g butter
• 60 ml olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 250 ml water
• 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley, to finish

Before you cook

• Heat the oven to 140C fan.
• Crumble the saffron into 3 tablespoons of warm water and leave it to steep for 10 minutes.
• Rinse the preserved lemons, scoop out and discard the pulp, then quarter the rind.
• Cut the smen or butter into small cubes.

Steps

1. Put the meat into a deep casserole with a tight lid, or into a tanjia urn if you have one.
2. Scatter the whole garlic cloves and the preserved lemon rind over the meat.
3. Add the cumin, ras el hanout, turmeric, salt and black pepper.
4. Pour in the olive oil and the saffron water, then dot the smen over the top.
5. Turn everything over with your hands until the meat is coated in a thick paste of spice and fat.
6. Pour the water down the side of the pot so it does not wash the spices off the meat.
7. Cover the pot with a double layer of foil, press it tight around the rim, then fit the lid on top.
8. Slide the pot into the oven and leave it for 4 hours without opening it once.
9. Take the pot out and lift the lid away from you so the steam escapes safely.
10. Test a piece of meat with a fork, which should collapse under almost no pressure.
11. Tilt the pot and spoon off any fat pooling on the surface.
12. Scatter the parsley over the top and carry the pot to the table with plenty of bread.