Beef Heart

Name: Beef heart — a lean, dense, muscular organ, with a mild beefy flavour and a firm texture, similar to steak, rather than the strong taste of liver or kidney. It is used in stews, grills and kebabs, and is a traditional food in Peru (anticuchos), Japan, Eastern Europe and Britain.

Description

The heart is a hard-working muscle, so it is lean, with a dense texture and a deep flavour. It is trimmed of fat, valves and connective tissue before cooking. Unlike many organs, it has a mild taste, and is good for those who find liver too strong.

In Peru, marinated, skewered beef heart is grilled as anticuchos, a street-food favourite. In other parts of the world it is slow-cooked, stuffed and roasted, minced into sausages and burgers, or sliced thin and quickly grilled.

Main nutrition value

Offal is dense in nutrients, including vitamin B12, iron, zinc and other minerals and B vitamins, and much cheaper than muscle meat. Beef heart is particularly rich in coenzyme Q10, B vitamins, iron and selenium, and low in fat.

How best to be consumed

Beef heart is cooked quickly and thinly sliced, or slowly braised.

1. Trim away fat, sinew and valves, and slice thinly across the grain.
2. Marinate in vinegar, garlic, cumin and chilli, then grill quickly for anticuchos, or sear like steak and serve medium.
3. Alternatively, braise for 2 to 3 hours until tender, or stuff and roast.
4. Mince and mix with beef for burgers, to stretch the meat.
5. Cook whole pieces to at least 63°C.

Overconsumption could cause…

Beef heart is healthy in moderation.

1. Higher risk of bowel (colorectal) cancer with regular high intake of red meat, which the World Health Organization's cancer agency classifies as probably carcinogenic, so many health bodies advise keeping red meat to about 350 to 500 g (cooked weight) a week.
2. Dietary cholesterol, which is higher in organ meats, although current evidence suggests it affects blood cholesterol less than saturated fat does for most people.
3. Gout flare-ups in people with gout, since meat and especially organ meats are high in purines.
4. Iron overload in people with haemochromatosis, an inherited condition, since the haem iron in red meat and offal is well absorbed.
5. Tough, rubbery meat if overcooked or cut with the grain.

GroupsOrgan MeatsMammals (red meat)High proteinLow sodiumRich in ironRich in seleniumRich in vitamin B12Fresh

Related foodsSweetbreadsBeef KidneyLamb KidneyPork LiverBeef LiverLamb Liver

Wikipedia — Heart (food), used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_(food)