Moroccan Lamb Stew

I spent the last five days with my family in San Diego, not for any special occasion, but because I live in California again, and I could. We had a full weekend, including a wonderful dinner at Bankers Hill Bar and Grill, a trip to the farmers’ market, a soccer game, some shoe shopping, and a visit to a very overwhelming pumpkin patch. We cooked a lot of great meals and drank some fantastic wine and had excellent conversation and lots of laughs. But the best part? I got to spend my week immersed in life with my totally awesome two-and-a-half-year-old niece, Eliana.

I have been in love with her since the day she was born, and as she grows up and becomes her own little person, I love her more and more all the time. She’s a happy little girl, always curious, super bright, and a total ham. She loves to make people laugh. She loves to play, and sing, and generally make a lot joyful noise (which I, with my normally quiet little life, admittedly have a hard time getting used to).

My parents’ house is full, once again, of the detritus of a little one, and when she finally falls asleep for a few hours, I feel the instinctive urge to move through the space, re-ordering, re-assembling, so it will all be ready for her again when she wakes, and wants to play.

Being with her all day gave me a tiny glimpse of what it might be like to have a little one of my own. That glimpse alone was exhausting. It made me wonder how a person could find time to cook, time to read, time to write, time to run, time to do all the things I love to do. I know people do it. I read a lot of your blogs. But wow. I like to think that my commandeering the kitchen was a relief to my family: They could care for the little one and not have to worry about a hot stove and small, reaching hands. I suppose if I do, someday, end up with a two year old underfoot, I’ll have to figure out how to manage browning meat and chopping onions and keeping a small one occupied, because I know I wouldn’t want to go through my kid’s childhood without feeding her things as delicious as this.

I made this lamb stew the last night I was in town. My mom had some thick, gorgeous lamb chops in the freezer, and she let me have free reign. My mind instantly went in the direction of cinnamon and spice and Morocco. I did a little online sleuthing, and went to town. Lamb stew might make you think of something difficult, but this was pretty easy, and required very little actual stovetop time. In that respect, I guess it would be a great meal to make when caring for a little one. And, bonus, I think she loved it. At least I know the rest of my family did.

The meat became super tender, and the lamb-y flavor was shut down a little by the fragrant spices. If you’re not so sure about lamb, this might be a good gateway dish. It’s also very flexible: You can let it cook a bit longer if you need to, and it’ll be fine, and if dinner is delayed for any kind of family reason, just turn the heat down and let it ride. I bet this would be great in a slow cooker, too. It’s thick, and definitely more soup than stew, but you could make it more soupy if you add more broth. I doctored up the couscous with some raisins and lentils, but I’m sure this would be perfect with simple, plain couscous, too. Or add a little more crunch with slivered almonds or pistachios.

I bet you’re wondering, too, about that awesome tractor china. Yes, my family owns John Deere china. My Grandpa worked for John Deere for many years before he passed, and these were discovered when my aunts and uncles were cleaning out the house. My brothers have always had an affinity for Grandpa’s John Deere goods (I even used to wear one of his old uniform shirts when I was in high school; it said Bud on the breast pocket). So we got these. And a John Deere bike. Who even knew they made this stuff?

Moroccan Lamb Stew

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1 or 2 pinches of salt
• about 2 1/4 pounds thick cut lamb loin chop (we had about 6 thick cut chops)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 a large onion, chopped
• about 6 ounces of shiitake mushrooms, chopped
• 1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• about 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• about 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1-2 cups beef or lamb broth
• a splash of red wine vinegar

Preheat the oven to 375, and let the meat come to room temperature (or as close as you can get it). Mix the ground spices with a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Toss the meat with the spices, turning so they are well coated. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the lamb chops, being careful not to crowd the pot too much (I confess, I crowded it a little).

Let the lamb get a good sear before turning each piece to sear the other side, about two or three minutes on each side. Turn them again to let the edges sear, if they’re very thick. Add the chopped onion to the pot, and use tongs to turn the lamb around and let the onions onto the bottom of the pan. Let them cook for about five minutes, turning the meat and onions around every now and then, until the onions are soft and fragrant. Add the mushrooms and give it a good stir. Add the tomatoes, and the tomato paste, and stir. Stir in the fresh herbs, and add enough broth to cover the lamb, so it just sticks peeks out of the liquid maybe a little bit. Cover the pot, and put it in the oven.

Let the lamb stew cook, covered, for about an hour. After that, you can check to see if the meat comes easily off the bones. If it does, you can lower the heat and let it sit a bit longer, otherwise, let it cook another 15 or 20 minutes. Once the meat it cooked through and very tender, use a fork and some tongs to remove the bones and shred the meat just a little bit. Serve over couscous or rice.