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1
Place the beef in the base of a tagine or heavy-lidded casserole and add the butter, paprika, cumin, ginger, and onion. Pour over just enough water to barely cover the meat — approximately 250 ml — so the spices bloom directly against the meat rather than diluting away into excess liquid. Set over a medium-low flame and bring to a gentle simmer; the butter will melt into the aromatics and the liquid will turn a deep rust-red: this is the Mhammer base properly formed.
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2
Cover and braise at a steady, gentle simmer for 90 minutes, keeping the heat low enough that the surface barely trembles, so the meat softens gradually and the sauce does not boil away before the beef is ready. Test by pressing a piece of beef with a spoon — it should yield completely and begin to separate at the grain, with no resistance.
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3
Uncover and raise the heat to medium. Reduce the sauce, stirring occasionally, until it coats the back of a spoon with a thick, red-orange glaze, because a thin sauce will not cling to the beef or carry the spices in each mouthful — a thin sauce has not reduced enough. This will take approximately 10 minutes.
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4
Nestle the artichoke hearts and peas into the tagine simultaneously, so both vegetables finish together in the same 20 minutes without either one sitting raw or turning to mush. Replace the lid and cook for exactly 20 minutes. The peas must remain bright green; any greyness indicates they have overcooked and lost their sweetness.
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5
Scatter the preserved lemon rind over the surface 10 minutes before serving and do not stir it through, so it steeps gently in the residual heat rather than breaking apart and turning sharp and bitter throughout the sauce. The rind should be detectable as a bright, salt-fermented note against the paprika-beef base — taste a small spoonful of sauce to confirm the balance. Season with salt, then serve directly from the tagine.