Khlii — Dried and Preserved Meat for the Road
Strips of meat marinated in spices, sun-dried then preserved and stored in their perfumed fat. Salty, deep, slightly fermented by smen: a concentration of flavor that revives any road dish, from couscous to eggs.
Strips of meat marinated in spices, sun-dried then preserved and stored in their perfumed fat. Salty, deep, slightly fermented by smen: a concentration of flavor that revives any road dish, from couscous to eggs.
Whoever travels under God's sky must carry provisions. See these strips: they were rubbed with salt, garlic and coriander, dried in the great Maghreb sun on the terraces, then drowned in their own fat and smen. Thus the meat keeps for entire moons without rotting. My friend Ibn Battuta, who has seen the ends of the earth, could not have crossed the desert without such a provision. A little khlii in a broth, and the poor traveler fancies he dines at the palace.
- •Beef or lamb meat in strips — a good piece (base to preserve)
- •Salt — a full hand (preservation)
- •Pounded garlic — a few heads (aromatic and preservative)
- •Coriander and cumin — a handful (spices)
- •Smen and suet — to cover (confit and coating fat)
Khlii — Dried and Preserved Meat for the Road
Strips of meat marinated in spices, sun-dried then preserved and stored in their perfumed fat. Salty, deep, slightly fermented by smen: a concentration of flavor that revives any road dish, from couscous to eggs.
Why this dish? Abu Inan commissioned Ibn Battuta's travelogue: yet no one crossed the tracks of the Maghreb and Sahara without khlii, dried and preserved meat that kept for months. This is the cuisine of caravans and the court's movements between Fez, Meknès and Tlemcen.
Whoever travels under God's sky must carry provisions. See these strips: they were rubbed with salt, garlic and coriander, dried in the great Maghreb sun on the terraces, then drowned in their own fat and smen. Thus the meat keeps for entire moons without rotting. My friend Ibn Battuta, who has seen the ends of the earth, could not have crossed the desert without such a provision. A little khlii in a broth, and the poor traveler fancies he dines at the palace.
Ingredients (period version)
- Beef or lamb meat in strips — a good piece (base to preserve)
- Salt — a full hand (preservation)
- Pounded garlic — a few heads (aromatic and preservative)
- Coriander and cumin — a handful (spices)
- Smen and suet — to cover (confit and coating fat)
Ingredients
- Lean beef in strips — 1 kg (base)
- Coarse salt — 60 g (salting)
- Garlic — 1 head, made into paste (aromatic)
- Ground coriander + cumin — 2 + 1 tbsp (spices)
- Smen or clarified butter — 200 g (confit fat)
- Olive oil — 100 ml (additional fat)
Method
- Rub the meat strips with salt, garlic and spices, then marinate overnight in the fridge.
- Dry the strips (traditionally in the sun; alternatively in a very low oven with the door ajar, or a dehydrator) until firm.
- In a pot, gently confit the dried meat in smen and oil over very low heat for 1-2 hours, without frying, until tender.
- Let cool slightly, pack into a jar and cover completely with the strained perfumed fat.
- Store in a cool place; take a few pieces to spice up couscous, eggs or a fava bean dish.
How it was made : Khlii (or khlea) is a very ancient Maghrebi preservation technique: salting, sun-drying, then confit in fat, which kept meat for months without cold storage. Indispensable for trans-Saharan caravans and armies on campaign, it was fully meaningful in a Marinid empire crisscrossed by trade routes and court movements.
The contemporary twist : Crumbled on a slice of grilled country bread with a fried egg: a Moroccan-style "confit meat" that will surprise at brunch.
Sources : Maghrebi preservation traditions (khlii / qadid) · Ibn Battuta, Rihla (caravan provisions)
Abou Inan · Charactorium