This is an adaptation of our favorite recipe from Goat, Cooking and Eating by James Whetlor. In this quick version, we use our braised goat meat and add our goat bone broth to replace the deep and satisfying flavors achieved by the slow cooking of the shank bones and marrow in the original recipe. Both the meat and the bone broth are available through our curbside grocery pick up program. This recipe makes about 8 servings if you plate the stew over rice, and it only gets better after a day or two in the refrigerator. (Note on the photo below: the day I made this I didn't have any cilantro because pandemic and I was too lazy to chop the pistachios, but you get the idea. Like most stews, this recipe is very forgiving.)
2 jars Angeles Crest Creamery braised, shredded goat meat, defrosted
1 jar Angeles Crest Creamery goat bone broth, defrosted
3 chopped tomatoes or 1 can of same
2 onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup butter, melted
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ras al hanout spice blend (order here)
½ tsp ground turmeric
2 cups water
10 strands saffron, soaked in warm water 10 minutes
1 bunch cilantro
2 cups dried apricots (these are our favorites)
1 medium preserved lemon (or try this paste)
Salt & pepper to taste
Chopped pistachios, honey and mint sprigs to garnish
Mix together tomatoes, onions, garlic, melted butter, spices, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Add bone broth and meat, and enough water so that you can let the pot simmer without anything burning. While the stew is simmering, chop and add the stalks of the cilantro (reserving the leaves for garnish), the dried apricots, and the preserved lemon (discarding the pulp). There is no strict rule for how long to let the pot simmer, since the meat is pre-cooked, but I usually let it go for about an hour so that the flavors marry properly and the thickness is like a typical stew, adding water as necessary during simmering to achieve this result.
Serve over rice and garnish with a drizzle of honey, chopped pistachios, and the reserved cilantro leaves. If I have a ripe avocado around, I add it to the top, which is not part of the original recipe but there’s not much that isn’t improved with the addition of avocado.
This recipe freezes well, so you can eat half of it and freeze the other half for another time. With the addition of diced potatoes, this stew makes a delicious pot pie filling.
Goat meat is a low water footprint and healthy protein source for Southern California, where we don't get enough rain to sustain grass for cows or sheep but have wild lands full of the kind of native shrubs and trees that are perfect for goats.
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