A Houseful of Love

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a fairly adventurous eater. Perhaps you’re committed to eating an ancestral, nose-to-tail diet. Or maybe you simply eat a widely varied, nutrient-dense, real food diet. Or you could be just seeking a meal that will help your body heal and run optimally. No matter what brought you here, this Beef Heart Chile Colorado is the holy grail.

Beef heart, ground beef, and pureed liver (a.k.a. hidden liver) are slow simmered in bone broth with a variety of chilis and spices until rich, flavorful, and tender as can be. The result? The best chili you’ve ever had, both in terms of flavor and health benefits.

While departing from authentic Chile Colorado in that the peppers are all varieties you can easily find at any American grocery store, there are no beans and no tomatoes in this chili! It’s basically just meat, peppers, broth, and spices (plus an onion and some garlic for flavor).

Whether you’re prepping freezer meals for postpartum (or any other) recovery or bringing a meal to a friend or family member in need, this Chile Colorado is the perfect meal for nourishment and healing!

Is this authentic Chile Colorado?

This recipe is not an authentic Chile Colorado, which often involves dried peppers that are not easily sourced in American grocery stores. Instead, I have substituted with ingredients that are widely available, easy to find, and very affordable.

I also use beef heart rather than a stew beef for the extra nutrients and because I honestly prefer the flavor of beef heart! In order to add some hidden liver, I also include a bit of ground beef, which is not particularly common in Chile Colorado.

However, I do not include tomatoes or beans in this Chile Colorado, as is typical of authentic recipes.

To be entirely honest, it seems like there’s a lot of variation in what goes into Chile Colorado. Even the line between Chile Colorado and Carne con Chile is a bit blurry. If you try this recipe and think it would be better described with another name, let me know!

What are the health benefits of eating beef heart & beef liver?

Both beef heart and beef liver are incredibly rich sources of a wide variety of vitamins and minerals that help the body run optimally.

Beef heart, in particular, is high in CoQ10, vitamin B12, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), choline, copper, iron, and selenium, as well as other B vitamins. What does that mean for you? Just some of the benefits include:

• CoQ10 is an antioxidant that protects cells from oxidative stress. It also is essential in the production of energy in your cells as part of the electron transport chain involved in making ATP in the mitochondria. Eating heart (and getting an extra dose of CoQ10) can support improved cardiovascular health, metabolic health, muscle function, and fertility.
• Vitamin B12 is essential for energy metabolism, red blood cell production, and brain/nervous system health. It’s great for boosting mood and cognitive function, as well as for preventing anemia.
• Vitamin B2 helps with antibody production, energy production, skin health, and the metabolism of other nutrients. It is known to treat migraines and may even help to prevent cancer.

Heart is also is low in fat and has negligible carbs, meaning that it’s almost purely protein. With a steak-like flavor and a stew beef texture when cooked low and slow, it’s truly the star of this chili.

I go into more detail about beef liver in this post, but suffice it to say that liver is truly nature’s multivitamin! Since it is more nutrient-dense than any other food, you only need a little bit to reap huge benefits. I like to hide it in sauce-heavy meals with ground beef and plenty of spices where it can’t be detected, but I’ve also developed a taste for it in liver and onions as well!

Can you taste the liver in this Beef Heart Chile Colorado?

Nope! Not only is this Chile Colorado so flavorful that it overpowers the little bit of liver that is in it, the allspice cancels out any remaining liver flavor. However, if you’re concerned about it, you can omit the liver. Or start with just a small amount of liver, perhaps just a tablespoon. Then you can add more as you get more comfortable with it.

If you’re really concerned about it, start with chicken liver. It is more mild in flavor. When I first started with with hidden liver, I only used about a tablespoon of chicken liver per pound of ground beef. When we couldn’t taste it, we increased the amount, then switched over to beef liver.

How well does Beef Heart Chile Colorado keep as leftovers?

Beef Heart Chile Colorado makes excellent leftovers, whether you store them in the fridge or in the freezer! It will keep about 4 days in the fridge and I find that the flavors just blend even more as it sits, so it’s an excellent choice for meal prep. In the freezer, it keeps best for about 3-6 months.

What do I serve with Beef Heart Chile Colorado?

This Chile Colorado is delicious on its own, but excellent with topping such as shredded cheese, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), fresh cilantro, jalapenos, or avocado. Serve with a side of crusty sourdough bread or some sourdough tortillas!

When should I serve Beef Heart Chile Colorado?

Beef Heart Chile Colorado is great anytime, but I’ve especially appreciated it during pregnancy and plan to make some extra large batches in my mid-third-trimester for postpartum freezer meal prep. In fact, I plan to eat this as my first meal after giving birth to immediately begin replenishing my nutrient stores!

It also is great for any recovery. If someone I know is having a baby or undergoes surgery, I always offer to bring a meal over. If they’re willing to try something adventurous, this (or another hidden liver meal) is what I bring them because there are so many nutrients that will help with their recovery! Of course, be sure to ask if they are open to trying hidden liver, but almost everyone I’ve offered it to has been eager to try it.

Ingredients

• 1 beef heart, cubed
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground beef – I use 80/20 ground beef, but a leaner ground beef will also work.
• 4oz pureed beef liver
• 1 7oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 roasted red bell pepper – very easy to make yourself! I don’t bother to remove the skin from mine because it gets blended, but that’s up to you.
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne – omit if sensitive to spice. This is already a fairly spicy recipe!
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 cups bone broth – beef or chicken bone broth both work. You can also use the liquid leftover from making a pork shoulder!

Directions

Step 1 (optional, but recommended for maximum tenderness): The night before you make this Chile Colorado, marinate the cubed beef heart in the apple cider vinegar.

Step 2: Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onions until soft (about 5 minutes), then add minced garlic and cook another minute.

Step 3: While the onions soften, blend the chipotle peppers with the adobo sauce, roasted red bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, allspice, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper with bone broth until smooth.

Step 4: Add ground beef and liver to the pot and cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes. As they cook, break up any large pieces.

Step 5: Add the beef heart with the apple cider vinegar marinade and the pepper/spice blend. Stir to combine.

Step 6: Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer uncovered for at least 3 hours on the stove. Alternatively, you can put the uncovered pot in the oven at 200°F.

Step 7: Taste and adjust salt to taste. Serve with cheese, onions, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, tortillas, pickled jalapenos or any other toppings you desire!

---

Print

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 395 kcal
Fat: 24g
Total Carbohydrates: 9g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 35g

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.