Mqila Slaouia: Moroccan Express Khlii Casserole
Mqila is a meat specialty dish from the sister cites of Sale and Rabat. It's commonly known as a cheat version or express version of khlii, a confit of preserved meat. I know many khlii-haters who love this dish, which in the end is just about basic ingredients and hardly any spice. The meat is irresistibly tender and pulls off so easily that you can consider it a substitute for any pulled meat and serve it on a lazy day. It may also be used in dishes which call for khlii as an ingredient.
Servings: 6 servings as a main dish
Calories: 772kcal
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs lamb or beef shoulder cut into long fat strips or small chuncks
- 1 lb beef or lamb suet, shredded or cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
For the Spice Rub
- 3 tbsp salt
- 12 cloves garlic, unpeeled, crushed
- 1 1/2 tbsp cumin, optional
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For Storing
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, or the liquid fat from the cooking
- 3 tbsp ground coriander seeds
Instructions
Preparation and Marinade
- Wash the meat. Cut it into long strips each about at least 10 cm (about 4 inches) length minimum and between 2 to 3 cm (about 1 inch) thick. Alternatively, you can cut the meat into evenly-sized chunks. The smaller the pieces the better the exposure to the marinade will be, but try not to make them as small as a kebab meat. I reckon anything around 5 cm (about 2 inches) will be fine. Meat with bones is also good for this recipe.
- Rub the meat with the ingredients listed for the marinade. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 12 hours or overnight.
Cooking and Storing
- In a deep, heavy-bottomed frying pan, casserole or pot, melt the kidney fat on very low heat. Set it aside and wait for it to cool down a bit then strain it to get rid of lumps and veins/sinuses.
- Bring water to a boil and pour in the strained liquid fat. Add the meat carefully (do not splash). Cover and let simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.
- Gently simmer the pot for at least 1 hour for long strips of meat and even longer for chunks. Alternatively, you can use a pressure cooker to shorten the cooking time but this dish really works well when cooked slowly. It also needs some stirring every now and then.
- The meat will become tender and therefore you need to stir delicately in order not to break it down before serving it.
- Once the meat as become extremely tender, remove it and cover it then let the liquid simmer until complete evaporation of water (no water should remain).
- Let cool and then transfer to clean containers. Seal and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Alternatively, you can place the mqila in Ziploc bags and freeze. I break down the meat and mix it with its fat. I use each bag to make different Moroccan recipes calling for khlii filling. You may save the fat in separate containers and spoons some of it as you go.
Notes
- In Morocco as the meat is cut on request, sometimes we come across some bits and grits from the bones, so washing it is necessary.
- The suet required for this dish is the fat from around the kidney. You may need to request it in advance from your butcher. If you can not find it, you may replace the equivalent with olive oil.
- To make a version of mqila as a substitute for khlii as far as the flavors are concerned, add vinegar and freshly ground cumin seeds in the marinade.
Nutrition
Calories: 772kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 3609mg | Potassium: 675mg | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 1.9mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 6.1mg