This recipe for Easy Tagine of Pork with Sweet Potato, Ras-el-hanout , and Preserved Lemon uses the pre-made spice mix to create complex Moroccan flavors. No tagine? No Problem. Alternative cooking methods are included.
Why you should make this recipe
- Flavorful and Unique: The recipe incorporates Ras-el-hanout and preserved lemon, which infuse the dish with authentic Moroccan flavors, making it a deliciously unique culinary experience.
- Convenience: By using a pre-made spice mix, you save time and effort while still achieving complex and balanced flavors, making it a convenient choice for busy weeknights or casual gatherings.
- Healthy Twist: The inclusion of sweet potatoes adds a nutritious element to the dish, providing a good source of vitamins and fiber, making it not only delicious but also health-conscious.
- Impressive Presentation: The traditional cooking method in a tagine pot and the vibrant colors of the sweet potatoes and preserved lemon create an impressive presentation, perfect for impressing guests or simply elevating your weeknight dinner.
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Moroccan cooking made easy.
Many people are put off, or afraid to try Moroccan cooking. Too many ingredients. What the heck is a tagine? Sounds difficult.
Blah blah blah.
Well, let me help you out there.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- To keep this recipe simple I used Ras-el-hanout which is a combination of almost all of the spices used in Moroccan cooking. It includes almost 20 spices so it's pretty inclusive while giving authentic flavor to the dish. The only thing it lacks, in my opinion, is heat. So I added a bit of cayenne.
- Fresh Ginger - While you could get away with powdered ginger, I think fresh gives you the best flavor.
- Diced yellow onion
- Preserved Lemon - tips on how to make your own later, but jarred is fine and very easily found in most supermarkets or online.
- Cilantro - love it or hate it? If you love it, add some in for color and flavor, if you hate it, well, then omit it.
- Pork Tenderloin - I chose a pork tenderloin for this recipe, both for its leanness and ability to cook to tender quickly.
- Sweet Potato - or yam, or garnet potato
- Can of Diced Tomatoes - I always give my diced tomato a little quick blend or chop as I find the canned tomato to be a bit firm.
- Peas - fresh or frozen. If using fresh blanch them in boiling water for about 5 minutes to start the cooking process. Frozen peas do not need to be thawed.
- Toasted Pistachio Nuts - the ultimate Morrocan nut. This adds a nice buttery finish to the dish.
FAQ
You could use tougher cuts of pork, or other cuts of meat, such as beef stew, but both of those would need to cook longer than the tenderloin. Tenderloin will be tender in about 20 minutes total, other, tougher cuts, might take up to an hour to get tender. If you decide on another cut of meat, be sure to cook it in the sauce until tender before adding the sweet potatoes and other ingredients.
A tagine is a conical cooking device used in Moroccan cooking, unique in that the top allows the condensation created by cooking to fall evenly back over the food.
Tagines come in different styles and uses.
Some tagines are strictly for serving, and not meant to be heated or used for cooking at all. Many are clay versions, which can be used in the oven. Some clay pots allow limited stove-top use. Then there are those with bases that can be heated on top of the stove allowing you to brown and cook from beginning to end.
Sweet potatoes are one of those "superfoods" supplying amazing amounts of nutritional value. 214% of your daily requirement of Vitamin A, 50% of Vitamin C, along with magnesium, and many other trace elements.
Not all sweet potatoes are orange inside, as a matter of fact, you can find purple ones. Alongside sweet potatoes in the grocery aisle are garnet potatoes, and what is commonly called a yam, although it is not a true yam. Any of these can easily be used in this recipe. Even pumpkin or butternut squash could be substituted. Adjust your cooking time accordingly.
It wouldn't be exactly right, but you could use some lemon zest to give it some lemon flavor. Lemon zest mixed with a bit of salt would be closer to the preserved lemon flavor.
Yes, you can. Preserved lemons are simple enough to make, although they take time. Cut lemons tightly packed into a non-reactive container with enough salt and juice to cover them, then let them sit and ferment for a few weeks or months.
While this recipe does not include the standard dried fruits often associated with tagine and Moroccan cooking, apricots, dates, and raisins are very common. Fruit could be easily incorporated. If you choose to add dried fruits, I would go with golden raisins or apricots.
Pistachios. Who doesn't love pistachios? Buttery, salty, fatty, rich. One of the oldest nuts used in history, pistachios are part of the healthy fats we need to include in our diets. If you don't want to use or don't have pistachios, cashews are a good substitute. Whichever nuts you use, be sure to toast them!
After having first made the error and purchasing an ornamental serving tagine, which is pretty useless except as kitchen decoration, I bought a Le Creuset tagine, with a cast iron base. This allows me to cook my entire recipe in one pot, from start to finish. While not cheap, it is, in my opinion, worth it if you to want cook Moroccan food. There are cheaper full-functioning tagines in the market.
Should you neither desire another piece of kitchen equipment or think you won't use it often, then a Dutch oven will also work for this recipe.
How to finish the dish
The dish is finished with a fine chop of preserved lemon, roasted salted pistachios, and cilantro.
So that's how easy it is to make Pork Tagine with Sweet Potato and Preserved Lemon. Nothing to fear. Just good eats. On the table in about 30 minutes...
Try this with a side of simple steamed rice or try Twice Cooked Brown Rice.
Wine Recommendation:
The Moroccan flavors of the dish pair well with lighter Spanish reds such as Grenache and Rioja. If looking for a white, I would recommend a Roussanne, from the Rhone or an off-dry Riesling from Alsace. A spicy German Gewurztraminer would also work nicely.
Tagine of Pork with Sweet Potato and ras-el-hanout Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Ghee or 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin cubed in about 1-inch pieces
- 1 1 - inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- ½ cup onion finely chopped (about 1 medium or ½ large)
- 2 teaspoons ras-el-hanout or to taste
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Water as needed
- 2 medium-small sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Garnishes
- 2 teaspoons Preserved lemon chopped
- ¼ cup toasted pistachio coarsely chopped
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Heat the ghee (or oil and butter) in a stove-top approved tagine or heavy-bottomed casserole. Pat the pork dry with towels and season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper. Saute in the ghee, stirring until lightly browned; add the ginger and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender. Add the ras-el-hanout and cayenne, stir in well, then add enough water to cover the meat; bring to a simmer, cover and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes.
- Add the sweet potato and tomatoes with their juice, cover and simmer 10 minutes or until the potato is tender; stir in the peas; cook 5 minutes until done. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Top the tagine with the preserved lemon, pistachios, and cilantro. Serve with a side of rice or couscous.
Linda says
Can you do this in the oven?
Linda Baker says
Hi Linda. Well, yes, I suppose after browning the meat you could pop the pot into a mid-hot oven to cook, but then you do have to open and shut the oven and remove and return the pot to add the other ingredients so I don't really see an advantage to cooking the whole dish on top of the stove. But it surely could be done. Cheers ~ Lindy
Alex says
Cook the sweet potatoes for 10-15 minutes ? That has to be an error. Never had or saw a potato cook that fast.
Linda Baker says
Hi Alex, The sweet potato is cubed so it's not like cooking a whole potato. I guess how long the potato takes to cook depends on how large a dice you make. I do a fairly small dice, not more than an inch square and they cook find after 10 minutes. If you like your more mushy, cook longer. Cheers ~Lindy
Russell Vandercook says
Thanks for a great recipe. Try Jerusalem artichokes for the root vegetable.
Linda Baker says
Linda Baker says