Braised Beef with Apricots and Lemon Couscous

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the ingredients

   Cut the beef chuck into cubes about 3 cm across and pat them dry with paper towels. Finely chop the onion, dice the carrot, mince the garlic, and quarter the dried apricots. Season the beef with 6 g of salt and the black pepper.

   
2. 2

   Brown the beef

   Heat 15 ml of olive oil in a heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in two batches, keeping the pieces in a single layer; cook each batch for about 4 minutes, turning the pieces as they cook until browned on several sides. Transfer the browned beef to a plate.

   
3. 3

   Season the base

   Add the onion and carrot to the same pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and begins to turn golden. Add the garlic, tomato paste, ground cumin, ground coriander, and cinnamon; stir for 1 minute. Return the beef and any juices to the pot and pour in the beef stock.

   
4. 4

   Slow-braise the beef

   Bring the contents of the pot to a gentle boil, then cover and reduce the heat so the liquid simmers gently. Braise for 75 minutes. Add the dried apricots and continue braising for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in the red wine vinegar and the remaining 2 g of salt.

   
5. 5

   Prepare the couscous and serve

   Put the couscous in a bowl. Bring the water to a boil, pour it over the couscous, cover the bowl, and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the grains with a fork and stir in 10 ml of olive oil, the lemon juice, and the finely chopped parsley. Divide the couscous among plates and serve with the beef and sauce.