Why and How to Cook Beef Heart
Josh Applestone was recently interviewed by Taste about cooking beef heart. The writer, Laurie Woolever, was so into eating and cooking beef heart, it reminded us we have this great recipe for heart in The Butcher's Guide to Well-Raised Meat. Not everyone wants to know why and how to cook beef heart, we get it. But for the lovers, read on.
Heart is an incredibly fussy thing to prepare. It needs to be cleaned well. Heart is a lean (the leanest cut of muscle in an animal's body) but a fairly bland organ that lends itself well to searing or tartare, though the most commonly used cooking method seems to be braising. All of the fat found on the heart surrounds the actual muscle and must be removed.
First, portion a beef or veal heart weighing 3 to 5 pounds into the naturally thinner and thicker sections. This sounds confusing, but it will make sense when you're standing in front of a heart; it is done so that you can control the timing when you cook the muscle.
Remove the fat and skin until what is lying before you looks like it has been peeled like a grape. Remember to remove any gristle or valves from the interior of the heart as well.
At this point, you can cut the thin and thick sections into slices, toss them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and throw them into a very hot pan. We would suggest sauteing the slices for 2 to 3 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Since the muscle is so lean, we like to cook it until rare to medium-rare.
We plate heart with something rich and buttery; or give it a dash of good oil, which is the way we like to serve tenderloin
Laurie Woolever's recipe in Taste is for red curry beef hearts. She marinates the heart with a spice paste, then broils it. It's quick, easy, and only involves a few ingredients.
