More things to do with heart?

BunnyMaz · Jan 27, 2012

We had heart for the first time, today. Lambs heart, to be precise. Stuffed with mushrooms and seedy bread, cooked slow in a pot full of barley and served with roast carrots and sautéed leeks. It was a really rustic, tasty meal. But I was amazed by how delicate the heart meat was. Slow cooking meant it was soft, but it was really fibrous and fell apart into a pile of meat not dissimilar from shredded duck, except with a really subtle, soft flavour.

It got me thinking of less rustic ways to cook it. My first immediate thought is in crispy pancakes. Slow cook the heart through, then shred the meat and toss in a pan briefly to crisp the edges. What I can't decide on is the sauce. The plum sauce usually served with duck would overpower the flavour. I was thinking a light lemon sauce with plenty of herbs, but I wasn't sure which herbs would go best. Herbs for fish or chicken might not fit right, but heavy lamb-suited herbs like rosemary would be far too strong. Would fennel work?

Anyone got any suggestions? I really want to try this!

sailor · Jan 27, 2012

Don't have any ideas for a sauce for you. But, you did ask for other ideas. This is one my mother made all the time. For a goulash.

HEARTHASCHEE (HERZ GOULASH)

1 ½ lbs calf or turkey heart ¼ cup vinegar
salt & pepper 1 cup of chopped onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms 2 sliced dill pickles
2 cups beef stock 2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp margarine or oil sugar to taste

-Cut the hearts into cubes and remove all fat or blood.
-Heat oil or margarine in large skillet.
-Brown the hearts, stirring constantly for a few minutes.
-Remove with a slotted spoon, put aside.
-Fry onions and mushrooms in remaining fat.
-Return hearts to heat and add beef stock.
-Bring to a boil and add pickles.
-Add vinegar to taste and sugar.
-Simmer about 30 minutes or until hearts are tender.
-Mix flour and add to thicken.
-Season to taste.

GeorgeK · Feb 1, 2012

Cardiac muscle isn't striated like skeletal muscle. What that means culinarily is that as a meat, it won't shred. You'll need to slice it thin.

Roasted peppers and garlic go well with heart. If you find a big old beef heart in the grocery store, either stew it or grind it.

BardSkye · Feb 2, 2012

GeorgeK said:
If you find a big old beef heart in the grocery store, either stew it or grind it.

I slice it into thin strips and pan-fry it with onions. Basil, garlic, thyme and tarragon for spicing. It's especially tasty rare.

GeorgeK · Feb 3, 2012

BardSkye said:
I slice it into thin strips and pan-fry it with onions. Basil, garlic, thyme and tarragon for spicing. It's especially tasty rare.

From a flavor and texture standpoint, I agree. It's just that with grocery store meat, I don't trust rare. Too many people inbetween the live animal and my dinner plate means someone somewhere along the line didn't wash their hands or watch the refrigerator temperature. I only eat rare when I did the butchering. Since heart generally isn't that popular due to social reasons as opposed to culinary, the heart in the grocery store also tends to be on the old side and therefore slightly funky. It's more noticeable with liver and especially kidneys, which are far far better fresh.

BardSkye · Feb 3, 2012

Mine comes via a couple of farmer friends who do, indeed, do their own butchering and don't like either heart or liver. It all becomes MINE.

Used to be able to get it for practically nothing at supermarkets and butcher shops here, but we now have a very big immigrant population. Those newly immigrated from areas where waste means starvation snap up the less-desirable (to most westerners) items before I can get to 'em in the store.

GeorgeK · Feb 3, 2012

BardSkye said:
Mine comes via a couple of farmer friends who do, indeed, do their own butchering and don't like either heart or liver. It all becomes MINE.
.

Did they eat the kidneys and spleen? If fresh, those are even better than liver.

BardSkye · Feb 3, 2012

I think they used those for their dogs. Actually, I didn't even know the spleen was edible. Kidneys, yes, for steak 'n' kidney pie.

GeorgeK · Feb 5, 2012

Spleen is sort of like liver only not even a hint of bile and softer texture than liver. If you like liver, you'll love spleen.

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