Camel Meat Tagine

Name: Camel Meat Tagine
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: North African
Ingredients: 3 lb/1.35 kg food-inspected camel shoulder or stew meat, trimmed and cubed; 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp ginger; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp turmeric; 1/2 tsp black pepper; Pinch saffron; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 onions, chopped; 5 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 preserved lemon, rind sliced; 3 cups/710 ml water or stock; 1 cup olives, rinsed; 1/2 cup chopped cilantro and parsley

Saharan Morocco and neighboring desert regions; camel meat is consumed regionally, but there is no single universal camel tagine formula. This version uses Moroccan savory tagine technique.

3 1/2-4 hoursYield · 6 servingsRegion · Guelmim

Ingredients

What you’ll need

3 lb/1.35 kg food-inspected camel shoulder or stew meat, trimmed and cubed
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp black pepper
Pinch saffron
3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 preserved lemon, rind sliced
3 cups/710 ml water or stock
1 cup olives, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro and parsley

Method

How it comes together

1
Season camel with salt and spices. Brown in oil in batches.
2
Add onions, garlic, herbs, preserved lemon, and water. Cover and braise at a bare simmer or at 325°F/165°C until very tender, generally 2 1/2-3 1/2 hours.
3
Add olives for the final 20 minutes. Remove the meat and reduce the sauce until concentrated.
4
Return meat to glaze and serve with bread or couscous.

Accuracy note

Camel age and cut strongly affect tenderness. Use only legally inspected meat and cook tough shoulder cuts as a stew until collagen has fully softened.