Moroccan · Street Food
Lamb Heart Skewers (Boulfaf-style Grill)
On the grills lining Jemaa el-Fnaa square after dark, offal skewers are as much a draw as kefta, and lamb heart — dense, lean and deeply savoury — takes beautifully to a hot charcoal fire after a short marinade of cumin, paprika and garlic.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 600 g lamb heart, trimmed and cubed
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1.5 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, pinch cayenne
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Salt and pepper
- Wooden or metal skewers
Method
- 1
Trim the heart
Trim away any sinew, fat and the tougher chambers of the heart, then cut the lean meat into even, bite-sized cubes.
- 2
Marinate
Toss the cubes with the garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and marinate at least 30 minutes, or up to a few hours in the fridge.
- 3
Thread
Thread the marinated cubes onto skewers, packing them fairly close together.
- 4
Grill hot and fast
Cook over hot charcoal or a very hot griddle pan, turning often, 8–10 minutes total — heart is lean and best kept to medium, since it toughens quickly if overcooked.
- 5
Rest and serve
Rest a couple of minutes, then serve hot with khobz, a squeeze of lemon and a cumin-salt mix on the side.
Chef's tips
- Lean heart meat has almost no fat to protect it, so grill it hot and fast rather than low and slow, and don't walk away from the fire.
- A short acid marinade with lemon helps tenderise the dense muscle without needing long marinating times.
- Serve with a small dish of ground cumin mixed with salt for dipping — the classic street-grill condiment.
Frequently asked questions
Does lamb heart need special preparation?
Just careful trimming of any tough membrane, fat and connective tissue before cubing; the lean meat itself cooks quickly and needs no special tenderising beyond a short marinade.
What if I overcook it?
Overcooked heart turns firm and chewy fast, since it has no fat to keep it moist — err on the side of pulling the skewers a minute early and resting them.