Nov 24th, 2011
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Moroccan Mint Beef

Mint is one of those herbs that grows like a weed and will take over your garden if you let it. Rather than letting it become a pest, I decided to add it to our spicy beef dinner to brighten it up.

As hard as it is to believe, the first snowflakes of the season fell last week. Luckily our plants were already inside because the nighttime low has been hovering near freezing for a while. With our herbs on our kitchen counter we’ve caught our sneaky mint plant invading our potted basil plant multiple times! We keep finding shoots of mint poking into the basil’s soil. To trim back the mint and regain control I put most of it in this mouthwatering dish.

The idea for this recipe came from a post on the Planning with kids site. Since we love moroccan food, I added a greater variety of spices to produce a more authentic taste. Don’t you love the warmth of all those North African spices?

The beef turned out amazing — tender and full of rich flavour. Cucumber salad with mint in a lemon juice and olive oil dressing made the perfect side. Although at this time of year roasted squash would be great too.

What’s your favourite way to use fresh mint?

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Slow Cooker Mint Beef

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 4 hours (low) or 2 hours (high)
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

  • 2 1⁄2 lbs beef strips (I used flank steak, strip loin works too)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive or coconut oil
  •  1⁄4 cup corn starch (or coconut flour)
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  •  1⁄2 tsp toasted and ground cumin
  • 1 tsp toasted and ground coriander
  • 5 toasted and ground all spice berries
  • 5 toasted and ground cardamom pods
  •  1⁄2 tsp toasted and ground anise seeds
  • 1 tsp toasted and ground fennel seeds
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 tsp lemon rind
  • 3 cups freshly diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  •  1⁄2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 1⁄4 cup toasted and slivered almonds
  •  3⁄4 cup freshly chopped mint

Toast the spices in a small skillet over low to medium heat until they become fragrant, about 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, dice the onions and tomatoes, and mince the garlic.

Cook the onions until they begin to soften and add the garlic.

Grind the spices using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and stir in with the onions and garlic. Add the ground ginger and nutmeg.

Stir in the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the beef into strips approximately ½-inch thick. Place them into your slow cooker insert. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper, toss to mix. Gently stir in the corn starch until the beef is evenly coated.

Pour the tomato mixture on top and cook on low for 4 hours (or high for 2 hours).

Serve the beef with seasonal veggies, (or on a bed of rice) and top with mint and toasted almonds.