Born in the Wrong Century

What’s a girl to do when a local ranch has a sale on beef hearts & livers?  Get some of course!  My Dad always saved the heart when he’d get an elk hunting and I have great memories of him sharing it with me so I could make a sandwich to take to school.  I must have been considered strange back then…   Lately I’ve been joking with my husband that our future kid’s will think they have the strangest Mom around.  But I think if they grow up in a household where food is valued, both for how it’s grown and where it comes from they won’t think it’s weird.  Hopefully they’ll think what other people eat is weird!

Beef Heart & Liver… Oh My!

Over the weekend I cooked up the heart in the same way my Dad does the elk’s.  If you can get your hands on a beef heart from a local rancher I’d recommend you try it.  It’s very lean and has a great flavor.  I’ve only ever eaten heart in sandwiches but if you have suggestions on other uses please comment and the next time I get one I’ll try something else

{How To} Boil Beef Heart
After the heart thawed I rinsed it well and put it in a large dutch oven full of boiling salted water.  I simmered the heart in this water for half an hour and skimmed off all the foam.  Then I put the heart in this second pot of simmering water that I added sea salt, bay leaves, garlic scapes, a carrot, an onion, peppercorns and juniper berries.

Simmering water all flavored up!

I covered this pot and simmered the heart an another hour and half.  Then I removed the heart to a plate and quickly cooled it in the fridge.  After it was cool I cut off the thin layer of fat that was on the outside and sliced it thin for sandwiches (starting at the pointed end).

Sandwiches here I come!

Towards the area where all the arteries leave the heart there is more junk going on so I froze that chunk and will cube up the good parts of meat to add to breakfast burritos, etc.  To make an awesome sandwich all you need is good bread + lettuce + mayo + beef heart!

Don’t knock it until you try it!