Moroccan Stew With Beef Heart, Apricots Spices, And Lemons.

A delicious Moroccan stew with a secret ingredient!

Nowadays most people make disgusted expressions when you mention easting organ meats.

What if you loved what you are eating and could never even tell you are eating offal?

This Moroccan stew with beef heart accomplishes just that.  No more YUCK and BLAH.

Instead imagine complex, fragrant tones of cinnamon and cardamom, complemented by a clear sharp note of lemon. The whole is brought to heavenly quality by the subtle sweetness of apricots, who blend with the onions in the broth to create a smooth and creamy sauce.

Vivica’s cooking TIP:

If you want your spices to be fresh and have the best flavor, it makes a big difference when you grind them yourself in a coffee grinder.

Spices are very high in many medicinal and antioxidant proprieties, but the ones you get a the regular grocery store are often irradiated, which removes most health benefits. Buying organic spices will be a little pricier, but you will be sure to get the best possible quality!

Here is a list of good options for whole spices you can very easily grind in your coffee grinder right before cooking;

• Cardamom
• Cinnamon
• Clove

“Eat what you want to heal”

I am a Certified Technician in Whole Food Nutrition.  Basically I teach people how to attain better health through whole foods, especially traditional foods. That is why organ meats are so important for me! The main problem with organ meats though, is that more people are squeamish about eating them, especially when they remember too well some awful experience with a poorly prepared dish.

Now that you know this Moroccan stew will be delicious, you should know why you do want to include the beef heart in the preparation:

WHY you should be eating organ meats:

• Nutritional value

Heart is a muscle, so it compares to other muscle cuts of beef, although with a higher protein and nutrient content.  Beef heart contains all essential amino acids, zinc, selenium and phosphorus. It has more than double the elastin and collagen than other cuts of meat and a highly concentrated source of coenzyme Q10, also known as CoQ10.

Pastured, grass fed and finished beef is to be preferred at all times, not only for humane and environmental concerns but also because of the much higher Omega 3 content.

• The X Factor

Weston A. Price, author of “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration,” hypothesized that a fat soluble vitamin acting as a catalyst for the absorption of vitamins is present in organ meats. More powerful than vitamins A or D, Price called this vitamin “Activator X.” In his study of indigenous food cultures, he found that every group had some food it considered sacred. He noted that all hunter-gatherer tribes ate the organ meat of any game killed first, and often raw.

• Coenzyme Q10

Beef heart is a rich source of Coenzyme Q10, known as CoQ10. According to the university of Maryland Medical Center, CoQ10 boosts your energy level, is vital for your immune system and works as an antioxidant — fighting free radicals that damage DNA.
CoQ10 may also prevent blood clot formation, lower blood pressure, reduce fluid in the lungs and swelling in the legs — making it an important aid in preventing heart disease and heart failure.

4.3 from 7 reviews

Moroccan Heart Stew: Beef muscle and heart meat slowly cooked with spices, lemons and apricots.

 

Author: Vivica Menegaz

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Moroccan

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Imagine complex, fragrant tones of cinnamon and cardamom, complemented by a clear sharp note of lemon. The whole is brought to heavenly quality by the subtle sweetness of apricots, who blend with the onions in the broth to create a smooth and creamy sauce.

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cayenne
• ½ teaspoon ground clove
• 2 pounds pastured, grass finished beef heart meat (could also be lamb or turkey hearts) cut in inch cubes
• 1 pound pastured, grass finished beef stew meat
• 2 tablespoons ghee or schmalz or lard
• 3 cups sliced onion
• 2 tablespoons peeled, chopped fresh ginger
• 2 cups water or bone broth
• 1½ cup dried unsulfured apricots, quartered
• 1 organic lemon cut in rounds
• unrefined sea salt to taste

Instructions

1. The Night before:
2. Marinate heart meat (whole or cubed) in ½ cup of whey or 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
3. On the same day:
4. Heat fat in a dutch oven or heavy bottom casserole, add the onion/ ginger mix and saute’ on a low flame till onion is transparent.
5. On the side brown all the meat in a large skillet on a high flame, dividing it into small batches so that it just quickly sears the surface.
6. Mix the spices together and add to the onions. Stir well for ⅔ minutes.
7. Now add the meat to the onion mix, and stir well to coat with the spices.
8. In the meantime deglaze the skillet with a cup of water/broth, scraping all the nice brown bits from the bottom.
9. Now pour the deglazing liquid on top of the meat, add the second cup of broth, the sliced lemon and a good pinch of salt.
10. Bring to a boil, then lower flame to a simmer and cook for about 1.5 hours, until heart is very tender.
11. Add apricots to pot and simmer uncovered for about 10 min, until liquid is thickened and reduced.
12. Serve with rice pilaf and a salad.

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