Moroccan khlii “preserved meat”
khlii is one of traditional Moroccan foods. It is made from beef and can be kept for as long as 2 years. It is often used in everyday family meals. The following is the recipe for a small amount (about 4 or 5 jars) but in families in towns such as Marrakesh, Fez, etc., Moroccan Khlii is prepared once a year in great quantities – 100 kilos (221 lbs) and even more.
I advise you to try making a little at a time as it is certainly easier and you are more likely to be successful.
How to prepare Moroccan Khlii
Seasoning or marinade known as “chermoula”
Ingredients for 20 kg (44 lbs) of beef :
- 1 kg 150 g (2 lbs 9 oz) of cooking salt
- 750 g (1 lbs 10 oz) of ground coriander seeds (kasbour yabs)
- 150 g (5 oz) of ground cumin.
- 250 g (9 oz) of crushed garlic
- 1/2 a glassful of vinegar
- 1 glassful of olive oil
Preparation and drying
Ask the butcher to cut up the meat (20 kg – 44 lbs) in long strips like thick cord about 3 or 4 cm (1″ to 1 1/2″) in diameter. Wash those strips and leave to drain. Mix the meat, once it is well drained, with the chermoula marinade, which you have already prepared, and leave to soak overnight in a large container.
Stir again the next morning to make sure that all the strips of meat are equally soaked in the marinade.
At about 6 p.m., put the strips of meat out to dry on a special line. Leave them to dry for 2 days without taking them in at night. On the third day, and the 5 following days, hang them out in the morning and take them in again at nightfall.
Moroccan Khlii should be prepared in the summer when the sun is very hot so that it dries properly. To make sure that it is sufficiently dry, cut off a piece with a knife: the inside should no longer be the slightest bit soft and if pressed with the fingers should not give out a single drop of moisture.
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Cooking after drying (approximately 2 1/2 hours)
Clean and cup up 4 kg (9 lbs) of beef fat into small pieces. Rinse and drain. Put 8 litres (14 pints) of water in a large boiling-pot. Bring to the boil and put in the pieces of beef fat. Put the lid on and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes and add 7 litres (12 pints) of groundnut oil, plus 1 litre (2 pints) of olive oil, then the dried meat and the remainder of the marinade (chermoula) which has been powdered after drying. Cover the boiling-pot until it comes to the boil and then take off the lid and leave to cook rapidly for half an hour. Then leave to cook over a moderate heat until the water has completely evaporated and the meat is just in the oil. Stir carefully at frequent intervals during the cooking, with a very big wooden spoon, paying special attention to prevent anything sticking to the bottom of the pot. A large wooden spoon should be used for this. When all the water has completely evaporated, test the khlea to see if it is cooked by breaking off a piece with the fingers. Add another half a litre (a pint) of water (to make the meat more tender). Leave to evaporate and take off the fire. To check that there is no more water. throw a little of the fat from the pot on the fire. The flame should flare up.
N.B. : If the meat is cooked before the water evaporates, take it out of the pol and leave the liquid to boil down.
Once the khlea is cooked, take the pot off the flame, pour the fat into a jar, remove the pieces of meat with a skewer and put them in the “gsââ”. Leave to get cold. When in has all cooled, put the meat into the preserving jars and cover with the sill liquid fat. Leave open to air for a few hours and then close the jars with an airtight covering.
Popular Moroccan khlii “Khlea” recipes:
Moroccan khlii with lemon
Ingredients for 6 people
- 300 g (11 oz) approx. of khlii “Moroccan preserved meat“
- 1 spoonful of khlii fat
- A few broken olives (meslalla) if in season
- 1 soup spoonful of paprika
- 1 tea spoonful of cumin
- Crushed chilli to taste
- The juice of 2 lemons
- 1 handful of chopped parsley
Cut the khlii into dice with a pair of scissors. Put in the tajin, adding the khlii fat and a teaglassful of water. Put on the heat and add a few stoned broken olives, if in season. Add a soup spoonful of paprika, cumin, chilli and, when it comes to the boil, add the lemon juice and chopped parsley. Mix well, bring to the boil, leave a few minutes, then remove from the heat and serve at once with mint tea.
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The Famous khlii with eggs
Cut a few strips of khlii into small pieces with a pair of scissors and put them in the tajin. Add a small spoonful of Moroccan khlii fat and cook over a low heat. When the fat melts, crack a few eggs and space them out in the tajin. Remove from the heat as soon as the whites are cooked. Serve piping hot with mint tea.
Vegetable marrows with khlii and mlokhia (gumbos)
Ingredients for 6 people
- 1 kg (2 lbs 3 oz) of vegetable marrow (if possible round rough-skinned marrows, called “gara harcha”)
- 250 g (9 oz) of gumbos
- 1 onion 200g (7 oz) of khlii (see recipe page 12)
- 2 soup spoonfuls of khlii fat
- 1 heaped teaspoonful of paprika
- Crushed chilli to taste
- 1 soup spoonful of gumbos powder if no fresh ones are available
Slice the onion thinly and put in a saucepan with the khlii fat, the pieces of khlii, paprika, pounded chilli and enough salt, taking into account that the-khlii is salted. Cover with 2 glassfuls of water. Bring to the boil, cut the marrows into 4 lengthways, take out the pips but leave the skin and cut into pieces 2 or 3 cm (1″ or 1 1/4) long. Rinse and turn into the boiling stock. Remove the pieces of khlea and put on one side. Top and tail the gumbos, rinse quickly and put in a separate saucepan. Add salt and cook in a little of the marrow stock. (Never leave the gumbos wet for long. They have to be cooked immediately after they are washed or they will be gluey).
Leave the marrows to cook very gently until the liquid is thick and creamy. Serve hot with the gumbos and khlii on top of the marrows.
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Tomatoes with khlii and potatoes
Ingredients for 6 to 8 people
- 5 kg ((11 lbs) of tomatoes
- 200 g (7 oz) of khlii (see recipe page 12)
- 4 soup spoonfuls of khlii fat
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) of potatoes
- 2 chopped onions
- 1 handful of chopped parsley
- 1 heaped soup spoonful of paprika
- Chilli to taste
Wash and peel the tomatoes. Take out the seeds and chop into pieces. (Never put tomatoes through a vegetable sieve.) Put on to cook in a thick-bottomed saucepan without adding any water. Add salt, 2 chopped onions, the dried meat, khlii fat, paprika and the crushed chilli.
Peel and cut up into small pieces 500g (1 lb 2 oz) of potatoes. Put on one side. When the tomato mixture has been boiling for a few minutes, take out the pieces of Moroccan khlii and put on one side. Take out a little of the tomato juice and cook the potatoes in it separately adding a very little salt.
Keep a close watch on the tomatoes, stirring frequently, until all the juice has evaporated and the fat separates from the rest. A sort of tomato purée is produced. Add the chopped parsley and the pieces of khlea which were put on one side and me potatoes which were cooked separately. Stir for a few more minutes and remove from the heat. Serve very hot.
