Because all of my time lately (spare or otherwise) has been devoted to my book, I feel like all the main dishes I’ve been making are Middle Eastern. And since all of these main dishes that I’ve been enjoying have been for my book, this also means that it’s been forever (or at least what feels like forever) since I shared a hearty main dish on my blog. Ironically, the dish I’m sharing now isn’t for my book but it still is Middle East-inspired (Morocco, to be exact) and it’s the last thing I made for dinner recently that wasn’t for the book.
Now, this dish would be really perfect made in a tagine (which is a North African cooking vessel that’s usually made out of clay, with a cone-shaped top). I still don’t have a tagine (Mike, if you’re reading this…hello, Gorgeous. A girl can try, right? ;) ), so I used a Dutch oven which worked perfectly.
Also, I used boneless beef short ribs for this recipe, but 1 1/2 lbs of stew meat (beef or lamb) would also work fine.
Moroccan-Inspired Beef Short Ribs
Serves 4 to 6
2 tablespoons olive oil
2.5 lbs boneless beef short ribs, trimmed of excess fat on the outside (if possible) and cut into large (2 to 3-inch) pieces
1.5 lbs onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Middle Eastern 9 Spice Mix
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch saffron
Hot water
1 cup prunes, halved
2 teaspoons honey
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over moderately-high heat; add the meat and sear on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl and set aside. Turn the heat down to medium; add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, ginger, bay leaves, Middle Eastern 9 Spice Mix, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and saffron and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add hot water to come just below the top of the meat; bring to a boil over high heat, then cover the pot, turn heat down to simmer, and cook until the meat is tender, about 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally (the sauce should be thickened quite a bit by this point; you can add a splash more water if you need to and skim off any fat that you see on the top).
Add the prunes and honey, cover the pot, and simmer until the prunes are plumped and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Jeweled Couscous
Serves 4 to 6
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium-large carrots, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon Middle Eastern 9 Spice Mix
3/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch black pepper
3 tablespoons golden raisins (sultanas)
1/2 cup water
1 1/4 cups couscous
1 1/2 cups boiling water
Heat the oil in a medium, lidded saucepan over medium heat; add the carrot and onion and cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the Middle Eastern 9 Spice Mix, salt, pepper, golden raisins, and 1/2 cup water. Cover the pot, turn heat down to low, and cook until the carrots are tender, the raisins are plumped, and the water is almost all evaporated, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the couscous and stir to coat with the oil; toast 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the boiling water, cover the pot, turn heat off, and let the couscous sit for 15 minutes; fluff with a fork before serving.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Katerina says
October 10, 2011 at 5:35 amCongratulations on your book! I just found out. The tagine is one of my favorite in Moroccan cuisine. Having visited Morocco I can tell you that their food is gorgeous.
Rosa says
October 10, 2011 at 6:00 amA delicious dish! So comforting and fulfilling.
Congrats on your book!
Cheers,
Rosa
Erica says
October 10, 2011 at 7:35 amI love the idea of the raisins in the couscous. So yummy. The pictures are just so inviting too!
Nicole, RD says
October 10, 2011 at 12:36 pmI’m glad you elaborated on what a tagine is exactly..I hadn’t a clue! But so long as a dutch oven works well, that’s all the more convenient. Though I do always find it endearing to drop oh-so-subtle hints for holiday/birthday gift ideas to the ones we love through blogging :) I hope Mike takes the hint! Looks DELICIOUS! I can’t wait to read the book…hope it’s coming along well!
Dana says
October 10, 2011 at 1:11 pmThis is making my mouth water, and I don’t even eat short ribs! lol
Looks great… Moroccan food is always a hit with me!
Lisa says
October 10, 2011 at 3:24 pmThe flavors in the ribs sound awesome! Thanks for sharing…we love ribs :)
BeadedTail says
October 10, 2011 at 4:58 pmI bet the flavors in that dish are delicious! I can’t wait for you book!
anh@anhsfoodblog.com says
October 10, 2011 at 5:57 pmHow awesome! I love braised beef ribs!
Evelyne@CheapEthnicEatz says
October 10, 2011 at 6:52 pmI have not made a tagine in a while, and I have one on top of it. This one looks really good, just might inspire a dinner soon.
Yi @ Yi Resevation says
October 10, 2011 at 10:47 pmjust had this dish last week in a Moroccan restaurant here in NYC….love the tagine sauce…so good!!. Thanks for sharing!
grace says
October 11, 2011 at 3:21 amhey, you keep bringing the middle eastern cuisine and i’ll keep enjoying it. this, like most of the others you’ve posted, appeals to me very much!
tania@mykitchenstories says
October 11, 2011 at 3:40 amI like anything with a middle eastern theme. So hearty and spicy and tasty. Lovely
deana says
October 11, 2011 at 7:36 amI’d say this is a keeper for the cookbook Faith! I don’t make shortribs often but love them when I do. These are spiced beautifully and the couscous would be perfect with those flavors!
kim says
October 11, 2011 at 9:13 amWhat a wonderful hearty dish that’s perhaps as the temperature is dropping.
Steve @ HPD says
October 11, 2011 at 11:27 amdoes anyone make long ribs? it’s always short.
anything with “Moroccan” in the name is a winner, and your couscous looks dive-in delish.
Geni says
October 11, 2011 at 1:08 pmThese looks so rich, flavorful and fabulous. What beautiful food styling as well. Congratulations on your book! How terribly exciting!
Mimi says
October 11, 2011 at 3:27 pmWhat a hearty and flavorful dish.
Mimi
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Susan says
October 11, 2011 at 5:23 pmWhat a lovely dish for the colder months ahead. I need to make some short ribs! What a wonderful marriage of flavors.
Hope you get that tagine :-)
Sarah@studiofood says
October 11, 2011 at 8:48 pmMy boyfriend might propose if I make this!
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit says
October 11, 2011 at 9:12 pmNo tagine here either, but I do have a dutch oven! I love all of the spices in this. It would make a perfect dinner on a chilly evening. :)
Ambreen says
October 12, 2011 at 1:32 amThese dishes sound great, lovely combination!
Krista says
October 12, 2011 at 10:02 amThis meal looks simply delicious! I’d love to curl up with a warm bowl on a cold night. :)
Lucy says
October 12, 2011 at 11:50 amThis dish looks so comforting – plus I love the pretty colours in the couscous.
Nutmeg Nanny says
October 13, 2011 at 10:16 amThis looks delicious! Short ribs are a favorite of mine…perfectly meaty with just the right amount of fat. The spices sound perfect for fall…yum!
patty says
October 13, 2011 at 10:01 pmThe short ribs look amazing and I love the name ‘jeweled couscous’.
I bought a tagine last year and have made short ribs, lamb and chicken with it- all excellent results so I highly recommend purchasing one;)
LeQuan says
October 14, 2011 at 6:41 pmHeck girl, if you called me gorgeous and cooked me delicious meals like this everyday, I’d buy you many tagines in all the different colours they come in. Then again, that’s never gonna happen, and I ain’t rich so I’ll just keep on dreamin’. Teehee. These short ribs look and sound very flavourful. Really like that you’ve included cinnamon in your ingredients. The couscous looks wonderful as well. Definitely comfort food right there. Mmmmm…..
Kimmy says
October 15, 2011 at 4:18 pmHey – looks so very yummy!
having lived in Morocco for several years, a tagine is a must –
Mike – help your girl out!!! ;)
Thanks for sharing – can’t wait to try!
Caryn says
February 4, 2016 at 6:29 pmWhere does one find, or what is the recipe for Middle Eastern 9 Spice Mix?
Faith says
February 29, 2016 at 12:52 pmCaryn,
Here’s my recipe for 9 Spice Mix (from my cookbook); please note that this spice mix (like most spice mixes) can vary by family or region.
Middle Eastern 9 Spice Mix (yields 4 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons):
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
9 spice mix can be a little hard to find in stores, but I’ve seen Middle Eastern 7 spice mix frequently in local Arabic grocery stores, which is very similar. If possible, I recommend making your own mix though, so you get the freshest product (you can grind the spices yourself if you want), and also so you can customize the blend to suit your tastes.
Please let me know if you have other questions! Hope you enjoy the spice mix or the short ribs recipe if you give either of them a try.
Faith