Khlii

Khlii is one of the oldest preserved foods of the Moroccan pantry — strips of beef or camel meat marinated in a spice paste, dried in the sun, then slow-cooked and submerged in their own rendered fat and oil to preserve for up to two years. A staple of the Fes medina, it has been made by Moroccan families for centuries as a means of preserving the meat from the Eid al-Adha sacrifice. A small amount stirred into eggs or added to a tagine delivers intense, fermented depth.

Serves: 8 (as a condiment; yields about 600g / 1.3 lb khlii)

Ingredients

For the marinade

• 800g (1.75 lb) beef flank or skirt steak, cut into strips 2 cm × 20 cm (¾ in × 8 in)
• 4 tsp (12g) coarse salt
• 2 tsp (6g) ground cumin
• 2 tsp (6g) ground coriander
• 1 tsp (3g) ground black pepper
• 1 tsp (3g) sweet paprika
• ½ tsp (1.5g) ground turmeric
• 6 garlic cloves, minced to paste
• 3 tbsp (45ml) cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp (45ml) olive oil

For preserving

• 200ml (¾ cup) olive oil
• 150g (5 oz) beef suet or rendered tallow

Instructions

1. Day 1 — Combine all marinade ingredients and rub thoroughly over the beef strips. Pack into a non-reactive bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning once.
2. Day 2 — Hang or lay strips on a rack in a well-ventilated spot in direct sunlight if possible, or in a low oven at 50°C (120°F) with the door ajar, for 6–8 hours. The meat should dry significantly but remain pliable, not brittle.
3. Day 3 — Place dried strips in a heavy saucepan with olive oil, suet, and 100ml (scant ½ cup) water. Cook over the lowest possible heat, uncovered, for 90–120 minutes until the meat is fully cooked through, deeply tender, and the liquid has reduced to only fat. The meat will darken and smell intensely spiced and fermented.
4. Cool completely. Pack meat into a sterilised glass jar and pour all the fat over to completely submerge — no meat should be exposed to air. Seal and store in a cool dark place or refrigerator.
5. After 3–5 days the flavour deepens considerably. To use: fry a small piece in a dry pan with eggs (khlii bel beid), add to harira for depth, or warm with preserved lemon and serve with bread.

Cook's Notes: Khlii is shelf-stable for weeks when fully submerged in fat in a cool pantry and for up to a year refrigerated. The fermented, gamey depth is the point — do not substitute with uncured beef and expect the same result. The fat itself becomes a flavoured cooking medium prized for frying eggs.