Beef or lamb brain cooked in a spicy red tomato sauce is a classic of Moroccan cuisine. With its bold color and rich flavor, this dish begs to be enjoyed with a piece of fresh challah, perfect for soaking up its spicy, flavorful juices.
This recipe comes from Reut Ezer-Asaraf and Michal Waxman’s new cookbook “Dialna.” The book, whose title means “ours” in Moroccan Darija, features a mix of traditional recipes passed down in the authors’ families, those they learned on visits to Morocco, and ones the duo created using Moroccan ingredients and cooking techniques as inspiration.
1Kg (2.2lb) beef or lamb brain, cleaned (instructions below)
water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 bay leaves
10 whole peppercorns
2 whole dry shatta chili peppers (or other mild red chiles like Fresnoes)
For the stew:
4 shushka (licorice) peppers (or other long sweet red peppers)
¼ cup olive oil
1-5 garlic cloves, sliced
2 hot green chili peppers, seeds removed and thinly sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, cored, peeled and cut into large cubes
1 tablespoon sweet paprika with oil
Salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
A pinch of saffron threads
3 whole dry shatta chili peppers (or fewer, depending on your desired level of heat)
1 lemon, juiced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cups water
- Prepare the brain: Ask the butcher to clean the brain for you. Gently peel off the membrane surrounding it. If you need a bit of help, you can peel the membrane after steeping the brain in boiling water and cooling it. A lamb’s brain is smaller and more delicate, making the cleaning process simpler.
- Fill a pot with water, add the vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns, and shatta chili peppers, then bring to a boil.
- Add the brain to the boiling water, lower to medium heat and poach for 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, then drain and cool the brain to room temperature. Remove any leftover membrane, if necessary.
- Cut the brain into 1cm (½-in)-thick slices and place on a plate.
- Prepare the stew: Grill the shushka peppers on a grill or under the broiler. Once cooled, remove the skin, stems and seeds, and cut lengthwise into strips.
- Heat the olive oil over medium in a sauté pan that can hold the entire stew in one layer.
- Add the garlic, shushka peppers, and chili peppers and fry until they soften and begin to melt.
- Mix in the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes, until they start to break down into a sauce.
- Add paprika, salt, sugar, cumin, saffron, shatta peppers, lemon juice, and cilantro, and mix well. Add water and bring to a boil.
- Add the brain slices to the sauce, ensuring they are well covered in the sauce. Gently simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.