A Houseful of Love

If you had told me a few years ago (when I was too squeamish to cut chicken breasts) that I’d be eating beef heart, I would’ve laughed. The joke’s on me though because I was missing out! Today, it’s hands-down my favorite cut of meat. Quickly seared on the grill, served rare and seasoned with just a sprinkle of salt? Easy and delicious.

But as fall settles in and the chill in the air lingers throughout the day, I’m using my beef hearts like stew beef. When it’s cooked low and slow, it’s beautifully tender and oh-so-flavorful!

And in this soup? *chef’s kiss* Perfection.

Based on the “All Day Spicy Stew” recipe in the Nourishing Traditions cookbook, it has just the right amount of spice to warm you up on a cold day. The slight acidity of the tomato-y broth balances the meatiness of the beef heart. And it smells so good when it’s simmering all day!

Last year, I served it for Halloween dinner and we had quite a few trick-or-treaters swoon over the smell coming from the kitchen and ask what we had for dinner. I thought one was about to come in and help himself!

Serve it with a side of mashed potatoes or with a slice (or two!) of well-buttered crusty sourdough bread.

What does beef heart taste like?

It depends on how you cook it. When it’s slow cooked, it tastes like any other stew beef because it’s tender and has a rich, meaty flavor. When it’s seared, it still tastes like a lean steak but has a texture that my husband and I find similar to mushrooms.

We generally either treat it like stew beef and cook it low and slow in a flavorful soup or sauce, or we sear it and eat it rare like a steak.

Where can I buy beef heart?

Some grocery stores sell it, as do quite a few online retailers, but you’ll likely find it for a much better place from your local farmer, butcher, or meat market. Call around and ask. If they don’t have it, ask if they know where you might be able to find it. It’s worth the effort – the price difference can be quite significant!

When we first moved to our current home, I spent a week calling around to different places with not much luck. Finally, I found a source for beef heart, beef liver, and suet (which I render to make my own tallow) by asking around at our little neighborhood farmer’s market. They pointed me to a butcher about an hour away. The price was right, the beef tastes fantastic, and now we make the trip several times each year!

Is beef heart healthy?

Yes! In terms of macros, beef heart is largely protein, with some fat, and effectively no carbs. Per 100g serving, there is nearly 18g of protein and 4g of fat.

In terms of micronutrients, beef heart is particularly rich in coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which is a powerful antioxidant that also helps cells produce energy. It also is a great source of B vitamins, particularly B2 (riboflavin) and B12, choline, and several minerals, including copper, iron, and selenium.

With this nutrient profile, beef heart can boost energy, lift your mood, improve cardiovascular health, strengthen the immune system, and support fertility. What’s not to love?

My kids are picky (or someone else in my household is picky). How can I convince them to try it?

I’ll admit it – beef heart sounds a bit creepy and weird. When I first cooked one, I was a bit unnerved by how much it looked like a heart. It was a wake-up call to how far we are from the source of our food if we don’t even fully recognize what we’re eating! Luckily, eating nose-to-tail can help kids to understand where their food come from.

Here are some fun ways to convince picky eaters to try heart:

• Play into the gore and make it for Halloween! Heart-y Beef Stew is the perfect spooky Halloween dinner recipe, especially if there’s a chill in the air. Double it to feed a crowd. Bonus points because you can prep it in the morning, let it simmer all day while you finish up whatever last minute prep needs to be done, and serve it whenever suits your schedule.
• Be bold and make it for Valentine’s Day! It fits with the “heart” theme of the day and is delicious on a frigid February night because it really just tastes like a beef stew. For the adults in the room, it pairs wonderfully with a dry red wine.
• Remind them that the heart is a muscle meat, like all the other meat we’re used to eating. We don’t feel weird about eating other cuts of meat, and heart really isn’t much different. Once it’s cut up, it doesn’t look nearly as scary!

Ingredients

• 3.5 lbs beef heart, cut into 1-inch cubes – I usually use two beef hearts, but if you have a particularly large one on hand, that should do the trick!
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar – this is the marinade for the beef heart and is discarded when you add the beef heart to the stew. You can substitute any acidic liquid here!
• 2 onions, chopped – I use yellow onions, but other onions will work well too!
• 1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes – if you have fresh tomatoes, feel free to substitute with those!
• 1 tbsp tomato paste – one of my favorite money-saving kitchen hacks is to freeze leftover canned tomato paste in 1 tbsp increments. Many ice cube trays are the perfect size for this, but you can also just put tablespoon-sized dollops on a baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze them that way.
• 3 cups bone broth – I use chicken bone broth most of the time because that’s usually what I have. It’s delicious with beef bone broth too though!
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper – you can omit this if you are sensitive to spice, though I find this soup to be quite mild. If you like a very spicy soup, feel free to increase this to your heart’s content!
• Salt, to taste – how much you need will depend largely on how salty the bone broth you use is.
• Fresh parsley, to garnish – not strictly necessary, but provides a delightful burst of freshness.

Directions

Step 1: Marinate the beef heart overnight in the apple cider vinegar. There’s very little marinade for the amount of heart – that’s fine! Just drizzle the vinegar over the beef heart, give it a good stir, and let it sit in the fridge until morning.

Step 2: In the morning, discard the marinade and put the beef heart in the pot with all of the remaining ingredients.

Step 3: Simmer on low for 8-12 hours. Alternatively, put pot in the oven at 250°F or use a slow cooker on low setting. Note: Carrots are an excellent addition to this stew and I’ll add them from time to time. Add them one hour prior to serving so that they are the perfect texture!

Step 4: Before serving, season to taste. Depending on your bone broth (especially if it’s unsalted), you may need to add a good bit of salt. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with a slice of crusty sourdough bread or some mashed potatoes.

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Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 361 kcal
Fat: 12g
Total Carbohydrates: 8g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 53g

The nutrition data provided here is for informational only and is only an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It cannot be verified or guaranteed, and should not be used in the treatment of medical conditions. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice This data should be interpreted and used at your own risk.