Tunisian Mloukhia

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1. 1Step 1: Place the contents of the mloukhia packet in a large cooking pot on the stove.
2. 2Step 2: Add about 2 cups of neutral cooking oil. Mix and stir to get the lumps out.
3. 3Step 3: Add about 2 liters of hot/boiling water but leave room at the top of the pot.
4. 4Step 4: Bring to a boil on med/high heat.
5. 5Step 5: Add bay leaves, then turn down pot to a low simmer and cover for about 2 hours.
6. 6Step 6: Meanwhile, prepare the meat. In a small bowl, mix tabil, caraway, harissa/tomato paste, ground pepper, and a pinch of salt.
7. 7Step 7: Mash the garlic cloves to a paste in a mortar and pestle (or finely chop with a knife) and add to the other spices.
8. 8Step 8: Place lamb in a larger bowl and rub the spice mixture into the meat with a spoon. Cover and refrigerate (you can prepare this the day ahead and refrigerate overnight).
9. 9Step 9: After two hours, turn mloukhia pot back up and let it boil, then add the lamb in.
10. 10Step 10: Let it boil for a bit then turn down heat and let it simmer on low for about 1.5-2 hours.
11. 11Step 11: At this point, the meat should be tender and starting to fall off the bone. The minute the water hits the mloukhia, it has a slimy consistency. The only way to get rid of this is to let it cook for a long time. Total cooking time: about 3.5-5 hours.
12. 12Step 12: Serve with baguette and enjoy!