Algerian Beef Recipes

ALGERIAN KEFTA (MEATBALLS)

Steps:

• Combine the ground beef with half of the minced garlic and a tablespoon of chopped onion. Mix with your hands until fully incorporated. Shape the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch oblong patties; you should have 12 to 14 meatballs.
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the patties in batches until they are crispy on both sides and are no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes. Set the meatballs aside in a rimmed serving dish and repeat with the remaining patties.
• Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the remaining chopped onion. Add salt and pepper. Cook the onions in the drippings, stirring constantly, until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining half of the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Stir in the roma tomatoes, dried parsley, ras el hanout, and water. Cook until the tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs and serve.

BEEF STEW GRATIN RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350˚F).
• Add salt and pepper to the flour and use it to coat the diced beef. Brown off beef in a deep ovenproof pan with olive oil. Remove from pan.
• Add more oil and fry the onions until translucent. Add the carrots and celery and fry for another 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for 2 minutes together with the beef.
• Add in the tomato puree and rosemary and fry for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped tomato and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the red wine and allow to reduce slightly. Add the beef stock and allow to reduce for 10 minutes.
• Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 2 hours.
• Remove and cover the top of the stew with thinly-chopped peeled potatoes, arranged so they are overlapping slightly.
• Cover with melted butter, salt, pepper, and thyme and cook for a further 45 minutes at 200°C (400˚F) with the lid off.
• Remove from oven once potatoes are cooked and cover with the grated gruyere. Grill on high for 5-10 minutes until cheese is bubbling.
• Enjoy!

CHORBA HAMRA BEL FRIK (ALGERIAN LAMB, TOMATO, AND FREEKEH SOUP)

Steps:

• Place freekeh in a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside.
• Combine lamb, onion, pepper, paprika, cinnamon, and salt in a pot. Add oil, 1/2 of the cilantro, 1/2 of the mint, and celery and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and cover with a little water. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add tomato paste, zucchini, and carrot and mix well.
• Set a steamer over the pot and add tomatoes. Cover and steam tomatoes until soft, about 5 minutes. Crush tomatoes using a wooden spoon so pulp drips into the soup. Discard leftover tomato peels. Add potato and enough water to cover. Simmer until potato is soft, about 10 minutes.
• Drain freekeh and add to the soup. Simmer until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove celery stalk. Sprinkle soup with remaining cilantro and mint before serving.

ALGERIAN COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season mutton chops and chicken drumsticks with salt and pepper; cook in batches with onions in the hot oil until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large plate.
• Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release browned bits. Return mutton chops and chicken to the pot. Pour in enough water to cover; add turmeric, cumin, and coriander. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer for 20 minutes.
• Stir potatoes, turnips, and carrots into the pot. Simmer, covered, until vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes. Mix in tomato paste and ras el hanout; cook for 10 minutes. Stir in chickpeas, zucchini, and cilantro; continue cooking, covered, until zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; remove from heat and stir in couscous and butter. Cover saucepan and let stand until water is absorbed completely, 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Transfer to a serving dish.
• Ladle 2 scoops of cooking liquid into a bowl; mix in harissa until smooth.
• Scoop vegetables onto a serving plate. Scoop mutton and chicken onto a separate plate. Serve alongside couscous, harissa sauce, and remaining cooking liquid in the pot.

ALGERIAN STEW FOR COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot, e.g. one for soup. Add the onion and the meat and let it take some colour.
• Add enough water or broth to cover the meat, usually about 1 liter. Stir in the spices.
• Add the chickpeas right now, or they will never become soft!
• Let it simmer on low for about 1 hour.
• After 1 hour, add the vegetables, make sure everything is slightly covered with water/broth. Let simmer for another hour.
• After these two hours, vegetables should be soft, and you should be able to tear apart the meat with a spoon, as this is how it is eaten!
• Check for seasoning and serve with steamed couscous!

BATATA MERHIYA (ALGERIAN MASHED POTATOES LAYERED WITH BEEF )

Steps:

• Mash potatoes with butter and salt.
• Heat oil in skillet, add onion, beef and pepper.
• Saute for 5 minutes.
• Drain beef mixture.
• Butter a 1 quart casserole.
• Put half of the potatoes in the bottom of the dish.
• Add the meat mixture and cover with the remaining mashed potatoes.
• Smooth the surface.
• Cover with the beaten egg and sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake in 350 degree oven until the surface is golden about 30 minutes.

ALGERIAN BEEF

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté ground beef, onion, green bell pepper and garlic until vegetables are tender and beef is browned, about 6 minutes; drain.
• Stir in kidney beans, hominy, salt, basil, pepper, sugar, oregano and red pepper flakes.
• For a soup consistency, similar to Mexican Pozole, add up to 2 cups water* until desired consistency is reached.
• Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Serve warm over rice or pasta.
• *NOTE:Without adding the water, meat mixture can be used as an empanada filling.

BOREK ALGERIAN

Steps:

• Gently saute the onion for around 5 minutes until soft.
• Add the beef mince and brown.
• Add a pinch of cinnamon, salt and pepper, and the chopped parsley and stir well.
• On a gentle heat add the beaten egg taking care not to let it scramble.
• Let this mixture cool or the pastry will disintegrate.
• Place 2 or 3 tablespoons of beef mixture about 1.5 inches from the bottom of the phyllo pastry sheets (feuille de brik) leaving approximately one inch either side.
• Cut the cheese in half and lay across the mixture.
• Pull the phyllo (brik) up from the bottom; fold the sides to the centre of section and continue to roll.
• Place the Boreks (fold side down) in a frying pan with vegetable oil.
• Fry on both sides until golden.

MAKROUT (ALGERIAN SEMOLINA PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Combine semolina, oil, butter, and salt in a large bowl. Rub the grains of semolina between your fingers, so that all the grains are well coated. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside. Let it rest like this for at least 2 hours, but ideally overnight. The mixture should be like wet, oily sand in the morning.
• Combine warm water and orange blossom water when you are ready to make the makrout. Slowly add mixture to the semolina mixture along with flour and vanilla sugar and knead into a soft dough. Add just enough liquid for a soft, smooth dough. Don't overwork the dough-- knead it just enough to have a smooth and flexible dough that can easily be shaped into a ball. Set dough aside.
• Combine ground almonds, sugar, vanilla sugar, cinnamon, and almond extract in a bowl for the filling. Roll mixture into 2 long logs and set aside.
• Divide semolina dough into 2 balls, then flatten to pat into a rectangle, about 3 times the width of your filling logs. Press down in the center of the rectangle with your fingers to form an indentation. Set filling log into the indentation. Fold dough over the filling and press the edges together to seal. Roll the log back and forth gently to shape the dough around the filling and smooth log into a uniform shape. You can cut the logs in half for easier handling.
• Cut each log into diagonal pieces, creating diamond-like shapes. Reshape the cut ends to have a nice uniform look. Set the makrout aside to rest, as you heat up a deep, heavy saucepan with oil - about 3 fingers deep.
• Combine honey and orange flower water in a small saucepan for the syrup. Heat over low heat until just below simmering and keep warm.
• Once the oil is hot, deep-fry makrout in small batches until golden on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue frying until all the dough pieces are cooked.
• Dip fried makrout into the hot honey syrup and submerge in the syrup for about 1 minute. Remove and drain on wire racks. Repeat the process, dunking each makrout into the syrup a second time. Remove and drain on wire racks. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using.