This Mediterranean Goat Stew is my twist on an old Irish Mulligan stew, with goat meat, lots of roots, eggplant, mushrooms, spices and wine.
Mediterranean vs Mulligan Stew
If you know what a real Mulligan stew is, you will understand why I had to create my own version, using favored Mediterranean ingredients, and of course, ‘goat’!
Once called ‘Hobo Stew’ it reminded me of the story of ‘Stone Soup’.
The community in a village started with a stone and an empty pot, brought a little of this or that, or whatever they had for food.
When the stew (or soup), was done, there was a pot filled with plenty of delicious ingredients to feed everyone.
The Beauty Of A Stew
How often does one actually shop for the ingredients to make a stew? I know for me, a stew often comes together with a little of this or that or what I have in the fridge, pantry or sometimes freezer.
But for my very first goat stew, I shopped for the ingredients that I thought would best compliment goat meat.
The rest of the stew came together with the Mediterranean ingredients I most often shop for or have in my fridge.
This goat stew is delicious on its own but a Mediterranean Rice with Dried Fruit would go beautifully with it.
Goat Meat
Did you know that goat meat is superior, nutritionally, to beef? Yep! It is higher in iron and lower in saturated fats and calories.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a hearty Wine Braised Beef Stew as well, but I was surprised to learn about the health reasons to entertain more goat in my cooking.
Health Facts About Goat Meat
Goat meat is often considered a healthier choice than beef because it’s leaner, lighter, and packed with nutrients your body can use efficiently. Here’s why:
- Lower in fat and calories: Goat has far less total fat than beef, making it a lean source of protein. A serving of goat provides rich flavor without the heaviness or high calorie count of beef.
- Less saturated fat and cholesterol: With lower levels of both, goat meat is easier on the heart and helps maintain healthier cholesterol levels.
- High in protein and iron: Despite being lean, goat meat offers plenty of protein and more iron than beef, important for energy and healthy blood.
- Rich in vitamins and minerals: It’s full of B12, potassium, and other nutrients that support metabolism and muscle health.
- Gentler on digestion and inflammation: Especially when pasture-raised, goat meat contains a better balance of healthy fats that are less inflammatory than those in grain-fed beef.
In short, goat meat gives you the satisfying richness of red meat with less fat, fewer calories, and more nutritional benefits, making it a wholesome, flavorful alternative to beef.
Spices Take Humble Goat Meat To Another Level Of Delicious
Each of these spices layers its own personality into a goat stew, deepening the flavor and adding intrigue:
- Cardamom lends a floral sweetness with a gentle citrus lift that balances the richness of goat meat.
- Garam masala, a blend of warming spices, brings depth, warmth, and a touch of sweetness that harmonizes all the elements.
- Sumac adds a tart, lemony brightness that cuts through the hearty texture and keeps the stew lively.
- Coriander offers a fresh, slightly nutty note that ties together the earthy and spicy tones.
- Smoked jalapeño (chipotle) infuses a mellow heat with a hint of smokiness, evoking slow-fire cooking.
- Black cumin (kalonji) brings a more complex, resinous earthiness compared to regular cumin, slightly smoky and peppery.
- Mace, the delicate outer covering of nutmeg, adds an aromatic warmth and subtle sweetness that enhances savory depth.
- Cloves introduce a bold, sweet-spicy sharpness that complements the gamey notes of goat.
- Chilis round out the stew with heat and brightness, awakening the palate and amplifying the other spices.
Together, these spices create a balance of heat, earthiness, and aromatic warmth—transforming the stew into something deeply comforting yet exotically layered.
Mediterranean Lamb Stew vs Goat Stew
Goat meat is often likened to lamb in taste, though I think it is a cross between lamb and beef.
Having grown up on, what is now, the well known Lamb Tajine, a type of North African lamb stew, my mom rarely bought goat meat. So I had to try my hand at it.
While goat meat may not be at your local grocery store, it can easily be found through health food markets, or what is known as Halal markets.
Halal meats, and their process, are handled different than most other meats we buy, and believed to be a more humane approach to the meat we love to consume.
Crock Pot Instant Pot or Dutch Oven Stews
Call me old fashion but whenever I think of a stew I often envision a big ole cast iron pot hanging over an open fire and simmering away a delicious selection of meats, roots and herbs.
When I make a stew, I want the best form of slow cooking I can use, because often a stew uses less expensive, often tough cuts of meat.
It’s a fact that slow cooking of meat, breaks down its tough aspects.
I have enjoyed experimenting with various vessels for cooking stew, and found something I prefer in each; so I suppose it just depends on what you are most confident with.
Goat Stew Ingredients Speak For Themselves
There’s something magical about a slow-simmering stew, especially when it’s made with tender cubes of goat meat, rich with flavor yet light on the palate.
As onions soften in a drizzle of olive oil, their sweetness mingles with the earthy aroma of garlic, ginger, and cumin, setting the stage for something special. A generous splash of red wine deepens the color and coaxes the meat into tenderness, while chili pepper adds just enough heat to warm you from the inside out.
Into the pot go carrots and red beets, painting the broth in shades of autumn, their sweetness balancing the spice. Kale lends a rustic, hearty touch, while eggplant and mushrooms melt into the stew, creating a velvety richness that feels indulgent yet nourishing. And just before serving, a hint of orange zest or juice lifts the dish with a bright whisper of citrus, a reminder that even comfort food can have a spark of surprise.
The BEST Stews Are Made With Wine
Goat stew, like many other stews and chowders I make, gets a healthy splash of wine. Why?
My experience has been, that wine helps pull out exciting aromas and flavors in a pot of something simmering away, as well as aid in tenderizing the texture of meats.
Too much wine in a sauce or stew can dominate the flavor, so finding the right balance took a little experimenting.
Rest assure, though, that the alcohol content cooks off, leaving only the flavor of the wine, so don’t use a wine you wouldn’t enjoy drinking.
Which Wine For Goat Stew?
In my goat stew I have chosen to use a red wine, mostly because I will also be using beet roots, so staying with red just seems smart.
When I am simmering or roasting a Rabbit (another favorite meat of mine), with mustard, mushrooms and other light colored ingredients, I use white wine instead.
Cooking with the best wine to compliment the dish, being cooked, might take a little experimenting, but once I find the right wine for the dish, I stick with it.
You too will find wines you prefer.
What To Serve With Mediterranean Goat Stew
If you take a quick glance at the recipe, you will see I don’t use potatoes in this goat stew. In keeping with a Mediterranean stew, I found it better to highlight the flavors of the meat and veggies, rather than ‘bulk’ the stew with potatoes.
Therefore, alongside of the goat stew, I serve a favored Mediterranean rice or a Homemade Flat Pita Bread.
Every Ingredient Brings A Layer Of Flavor
- Cubed Goat meat provides tender, earthy richness that becomes melt-in-your-mouth with slow cooking.
- Onion, garlic and olive oil form the savory base, coaxing out the meat’s natural sweetness.
- Red wine, just a splash deepens the flavor.
- Salt, black cumin, ginger and chili pepper add warmth, spice, and just the right kick.
- Spice Blend of cardamom, garam masala, suma, coriander, mace and cloves, just a pinch of each makes for a rich blend of exotic flavors.
- Carrots and red beets offer the stew’s color and sweetness grounding it with garden freshness.
- Kale folds in hearty and healthy green notes.
- Eggplant and mushrooms bring silky texture and umami.
- Orange, just a touch at the end lifts everything with a bright, unexpected finish.
Equipment Needed
- Stew pot with a lid, or a crock pot, or instapot, anything that allows you to slow cook this goat stew into delicious tenderness.
- Cutting board and chopping knife for uniform size cutting of the ingredients.
- Measuring cup and measuring spoons, as are standard in recipe cooking.
- Garlic press to extract the most from the garlic.
- Citrus press makes it easier to extract the juice of the orange without the seeds.
- Cooking spoon and ladle for both stirring while cooking and a ladle for serving.
- Stovetop or burner
Mediterranean Goat Stew
Equipment
- Heavy pot with lid or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Bone-in Goat Cubes usually found in freezer section
- 1 Large Onion chopped
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/2 litre Red wine
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Black Cumin
- 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger or 1 tsp dried
- 1/2 tsp Cardamom, garam masala, sumac, coriander, mace, and cloves
- 4 Garlic cloves crushed
- 2 Chili peppers chopped
- 4 Large Carrots chopped
- 3 Small Red beets chopped
- 1 cup Kale chopped
- 1 cup Eggplant chopped
- 1 cup Mushrooms chopped
- 1 Orange juice and zest
Instructions
- Sauté chopped onion in olive oil in a heavy pot on top the stove. Add meat, spices, and wine, and let come to a simmer.
- Add vegetables, juice and zest from the orange and enough boiling water to come an inch below the items in the pot, leaving room for the juices from the vegetables to extract and add to the broth.
- Bring to a simmer with a lid half on, half off and let it cook, stirring occasionally, for about an hour.
Video
Notes
- Can be served over rice, though I find it plenty filling all by itself.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.