meat tajine with wild artichokes (k'dra)

Ingredients for 6 to 8 people :

* 1  1/2  kg (3 lbs 5 oz) of meat (mutton chops and shoulder or veal knuckle)

* 5kg (11 lbs) of wild artichokes

* 2kg (4 lbs 7 oz) of finely sliced onions

* 1 handful of chopped parsley

* 1 heaped teaspoonful of pepper

* 1 coffeespoonful of saffron (mixed packet saffron and crushed flowers)

* 150 g (5 oz) of butter

* salt

Preparation: 

First, peel the artichokes, keeping only the hearts. Put them in a bowl of vinegar and water as they are peeled, Cut the meat up in pieces of about 150 g (5 oz). Rinse, put in a thick-bottomed saucepan with salt, pepper, saffron, sliced onion and butter. Cover with water and cook with the lid on, stirring from time to time. Add water if necessary.

When the meat is cooked and breaks off easily in the fingers, take it out of the saucepan. Put the well-rinsed artichoke hearts in the meat sauce which is still on the heat. Sprinkle with a little salt, add the chopped parsley and sufficient water o cover. Cook on a moderate heat and then let the sauce boil down until it becomes thick.

Sprinkle a little lemon juice on the artichoke hearts if they have become discoloured. Then put the pieces of meat back in the saucepan, taking care not to crush the artichoke hearts, Just before serving, arrange the artichokes on top of the meat on a round dish, with the sauce poured over.