Tanjia is the dish Marrakech calls its own, and it is named after the pot it is cooked in: a tall clay urn with a narrow neck, rather like an amphora that has given up travel. Meat goes in with preserved lemon, garlic, cumin, saffron, smen and a splash of water, the mouth is sealed with paper and string, and the pot is carried to the furnace that heats the neighborhood hammam, the public bathhouse. The furnace keeper, the farnatchi, buries it in the hot embers, and hours later it comes out with the meat so soft it falls apart at a touch.

It is known as the bachelor's dish because it was traditionally made by men, often workers and traders without a kitchen of their own, who would drop the pot off in the morning and collect a finished lunch or supper later. That is the genius of it: almost no work, no stirring and no watching. A heavy lidded casserole in a low oven does the furnace's job well, and the smell that drifts out after the third hour is the best argument for staying home on race weekend.

The tanjia

Ingredients

• 3 lb (1.4 kg) beef shank or chuck
• 1 small pinch saffron threads
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) hot water
• 2 preserved lemons
• 1 whole head of garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) smen or ghee
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil

Method

1. Heat the oven to 275°F (135°C) with a rack in the lower third. Crumble the saffron threads between your fingers into the small bowl, pour over the hot water and leave for 10 minutes.
2. Put the beef chunks in the pot. Sprinkle over the cumin, turmeric if using, black pepper and salt, and toss with your hands until every piece is coated.
3. Tuck the preserved lemon quarters and the whole garlic cloves in among the meat. Add the smen or ghee in small spoonfuls, drizzle over the olive oil and pour in the saffron water. Do not add more liquid: the meat will make its own.
4. Lay a sheet of parchment directly over the pot, then a sheet of foil over that, crimp both tightly around the rim and press the lid down on top. If you are using a clay tanjia, cover the neck with parchment and tie it tightly with string, then pierce the paper once with a skewer.
5. Put the pot in the oven and cook for 5 hours. After 2 1/2 hours you may give it a gentle shake with oven mitts on, without opening it, to move the juices around.
6. Lift the lid and paper carefully, away from your face, as the steam is very hot. Press a piece of meat with a fork: it should fall apart. If it is still firm, reseal and cook for 30 to 45 minutes more. Taste the juices and add salt only if needed. If there is a lot of thin liquid, spoon the meat into the serving dish and boil the juices on the stove for 5 minutes to concentrate them.

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