How to Cook Beef Heart

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 21, 2022 Tested

A beef heart may look like an intimidating thing to cook, but you can prepare it in a variety of ways! If you'd like to treat the heart like steak, slice it thinly and marinate it with shallots before tossing it on the grill. For hands-off preparation, cook the beef heart in a slow cooker along with vegetables until it's tender. You can also braise the meat in a slow oven 250 °F (121 °C) for several hours. Cook it with an onion, bacon, and red wine mixture that cooks into a silky sauce.

Ingredients

Grilled Beef Heart with Herb Vinaigrette

1 beef heart, trimmed and cut into slices or chunks
Salt and pepper to taste
1 shallot, minced
4 tablespoons (59 ml) olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons (44 ml) red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon (1 g) salt
3 tablespoons (44 ml) olive oil
1 tablespoon (2.5 g) oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon (2.5 g) parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon (2.5 g) chives, chopped
Arugula to serve

Makes 6 servings

Slow-Cooked Beef Heart with Vegetables

1 ¹⁄₂ pounds (0.68 kg) to 2 pounds (0.91 kg) beef heart
4 to 6 parsnips
4 to 6 carrots
1 large onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 cup (240 ml) beef broth
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) sea salt
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) ground black pepper
1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon (0.5 g) dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon (0.5 g) dried basil

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Beef Heart Stew^{[1]
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1 beef heart
1 (25-ounce or 750-ml) bottle of red wine (such as Rioja or Bordeaux)
6 cloves garlic, smashed
2 large onions
¹⁄₂ pound (230 g) to ³⁄₄ pound (340 g) smoky bacon
Salt and pepper to taste
Bouquet garni (thyme, sage, parsley, a little rosemary)
A few pink peppercorns, optional
A few pinches of chili flakes, optional

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Grilled Beef Heart with Herb Vinaigrette

1
Trim the fat, veins, and connective tissue from the heart and rinse it. Get out a 1 1/2 pound (0.7 kg) to 2 pound (0.9 kg) beef heart. Use a paring knife to trim away squishy connective tissue, fat, and valves. The valves will look like tubes. Discard all of these trimmed bits. If the heart has a tough silverskin, peel it away with your knife. Rinse the heart to remove any blood.
- Silverskin is translucent membrane that's tough. Pull away as much of it as you can.
- You should be left with purely muscle meat.
2
Slice the trimmed beef heart and season it with salt and pepper. Place the beef on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice the meat into strips about ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) thick. Try to slice against the grain so the meat is easier to chew. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the slices of meat.

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3
Combine the beef heart with shallot and oil. Transfer the slices of beef heart to a shallow dish and drizzle 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the olive oil over them. Add half of the minced shallot and toss the mixture so the meat is coated with the oil and shallot.
4
Marinate the beef for at least 1 hour. Cover the dish and put it in the refrigerator. Chill it for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
5
Combine the rest of the oil, vinegar, shallot, and salt. Pour the remaining 3 tablespoons (44 ml) of olive oil into a small bowl along with 3 tablespoons (44 ml) red wine vinegar. Whisk in the remaining half of a minced shallot and 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) of salt until they're combined.
6
Rest the vinaigrette for 5 to 10 minutes and stir in the herbs. Let the flavor of the shallot mix with the vinegar and oil for 5 to 10 minutes before you stir the fresh herbs into the vinaigrette and set it aside. You'll need:
- 1 tablespoon (2.5 g) of chopped oregano
- 1 tablespoon (2.5 g) of chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon (2.5 g) of chopped chives
7
Heat a gas or charcoal grill to high heat. Turn on a gas grill to high or heat a chimney full of charcoal briquettes. Dump the hot and ashy coals in the center of the grill grate.
8
Arrange the beef heart on the grill. Remove the marinaded beef heart from the refrigerator. Lay the slices of beef heart directly over the hot coals or in the center of the gas grill. Leave about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space between each slice.
- If you're concerned that the meat will fall through the grate or be difficult to remove, you can place the beef strips in a metal grill basket. Set the basket on the grill grate.
9
Grill the beef heart for 2 to 3 minutes for medium rare. Put the lid on the grill and cook the beef heart until it's browned on the bottom.
- For medium or medium-well done, add 2 to 3 more minutes of cooking time to each side of the meat.
10
Flip and grill the beef heart for 2 to 3 more minutes. Remove the lid and use tongs to flip each beef heart slice over. Put the lid back on the grill and cook the meat until it's as cooked as you like.
- If you like, you can insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Cook the heart to a minimum of 160 °F (71 °C).
11
Serve the grilled beef heart. Transfer the grilled beef heart from the grill to a serving platter. Spoon the reserved herb vinaigrette over each slice and serve the meat with fresh arugula.
- Store the leftover beef heart in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Slow-Cooked Beef Heart with Vegetables

1
Remove the fat, veins, and connective tissue from the heart and rinse it. Get out a 1 1/2 pound (0.7 kg) to 2 pound (0.9 kg) beef heart. Trim away squishy connective tissue, fat, and valves (which look like tubes) using a paring knife. Throw away all of these trimmed bits. If the heart has a tough silverskin, pull it away before rinsing the heart to remove blood.
- Once you've trimmed the heart, you'll be left with muscle meat.
2
Rinse and trim the parsnips, carrots, and onion. Trim the ends from 4 to 6 carrots, 4 to 6 parsnips, and 1 large onion. Discard the ends or save them to make vegetable stock. Slice the onion into 4 or 5 thick slices.
3
Place the vegetables in the slow cooker with the beef and garlic. Scatter the trimmed vegetables in the bottom of a slow cooker that's at least 4-quarts (3.78 liters) in size. Smash 2 peeled cloves of garlic and add them to the slow cooker. Set the trimmed beef heart directly on the vegetables.
4
Pour in the beef broth and seasonings. Pour 1 cup (240 ml) of beef broth into the slow cooker and sprinkle the following spices and herbs over the meat and veggies:
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) ground black pepper
- 1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 g) dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 g) dried basil
5
Turn the cooker on to LOW and cook the beef heart for 7 to 8 hours. Put the lid on the slow cooker and turn it to the lowest setting. Cook the beef heart until the meat is completely tender. To ensure that it's done, insert an instant-read meat thermometer to see if it's reached 160 °F (71 °C).
6
Slice the beef heart. Remove the hot beef heart from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut the meat into strips as thick as you like. Try to slice against the grain so it's easier to chew.
7
Serve the beef heart. Transfer the beef heart to a serving plate and spoon the cooked vegetables around the meat. Serve them immediately.
- Wrap the leftover beef heart in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. Refrigerate it for 3 to 4 days.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Beef Heart Stew

1
Cut off the fat, veins, and connective tissue from the heart and rinse it. Take 1 beef heart and use a paring knife to trim away squishy connective tissue, fat, and tubular valves. Throw away all of these trimmed bits and cut off any tough silverskin that's on the heart. Rinse away any blood.
- You should have at least 1 ¹⁄₂ pounds (680 g) to 2 pounds (910 g) of muscle meat.
2
Cut the trimmed heart into cubes. Make the cubes about ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) wide. The small cubes will get tender as they braise and be easy to chew.
3
Combine the beef with a red wine marinade. Transfer the beef cubes to a dish and pour in 1 (25-ounce or 750-ml) bottle of red wine. Add 6 peeled cloves of garlic and a bouquet garni made up of fresh thyme, sage, parsley, and rosemary. Add a few grinds of salt and pepper. If you're using the pink peppercorns and chili flakes, you can add them to the marinade.
- The meat should be submerged in the red wine.
4
Cover and marinate the beef heart for at least 24 hours. Put the dish with the marinating meat in the refrigerator and chill it for 1 to 2 days. It will become more flavorful the longer it marinates.
5
Preheat the oven to 250 °F (121 °C). When you're ready to begin assembling the braised beef heart, turn your oven on to low heat.
6
Chop and sauté the bacon for 3 to 4 minutes. Cut ¹⁄₂ pound (230 g) to ³⁄₄ pound (340 g) of smoky bacon into ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) to 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Place the bacon in a heavy Dutch oven and set it on the stove. Turn the heat to medium and cook the bacon just until it softens and releases a little grease.
7
Chop and sauté 2 onions with the bacon for 5 to 6 minutes. Peel and chop the onions into chunks or small pieces, depending on your preference. Scoop the chopped onion into the bacon and stir to combine. Cook and stir the onions with the bacon until the bacon becomes browned. Turn off the burner.
8
Add the beef heart and red wine marinade to the Dutch oven. Remove the dish of marinating beef heart from the refrigerator. Transfer the meat and marinade to the pot with the onions and bacon. Stir in a little salt and pepper.
9
Cover the oven with aluminum foil and a lid and place it in the oven. Tear off enough aluminum foil to lay directly on the meat and braising liquid. Set the lid on the pot so it's firmly sealed. Put the pot in the center of the oven.
10
Cook the beef heart for 3 hours and then check it. Carefully remove the lid and aluminum foil. Insert a fork or knife into a chunk of beef heart to see if it's tender. If it's still tough, put the foil and lid back on the pot and return it to the oven to cook for 1 more hour.
11
Serve the braised beef heart. Once the beef heart is as tender as you like, remove the pot from the oven. Serve slices of the meat with the braising liquid and your favorite sides. Braised beef heart goes well with mashed potatoes, dumplings, noodles, and green salad.
- To store leftovers, put the lid on the pot and refrigerate the braised beef heart for 3 to 4 days. The flavors will intensify as the meat is stored.