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How do i cook a heart?

post #1 of 10
8/15/08 at 11:08am
Thread Starter 
i just went boar hunting the other day and decided i would try the heart just to see what it was like, but i have no idea how to cook a heart, i dont want to change its flavor or put it into a stew. would i be able to just grill it? ive heard of people braising hearts, what is braising?
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post #2 of 10
8/15/08 at 11:27am
Slice it up and cook it like a stake?


















Sorry. :p
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post #3 of 10
8/15/08 at 1:37pm
Braising means cooking it for a long time in a shallow amount of liquid.

Personally I would just slice it up and sautee it in some oil.
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post #4 of 10
8/15/08 at 1:48pm
Braising is good for tough meats needing long, slow cooking to make them tender. Heart is one of those meats. (Having said that, my mom used to pan-fry sliced beef heart after tossing it in seasoned flour. It was yummy!) I don't know how boar heart would compare- probably it'd be a bit smaller than a beef heart.

For a braise, you'll need to trim off any fatty or gristly parts first. Cut the heart in half, then in slices about 1" thick. Then season the meat with salt and pepper. Toss the meat in some flour, and shake off the excess. Then add it to a heavy pot or dutch oven that has oil heating in it. Brown the meat quickly, then set it aside. Pour off any extra oil. Put some aromatic vegetables (chopped onion and/or leek, chopped carrot and celery, maybe some chopped parsley or other herbs) in the pan and saute them until the carrots start to get a bit brown and the onions/leek turn translucent. Put the meat back in the pot and add some flavorful liquids (broth or stock plus wine). Don't cover the meat in the liquid, or you'd just be boiling it. The liquid shouldn't cover it more than about 1/2 way. Cover the pot tightly simmer on a low heat about an hour. You could also put it in the oven at 350 degrees F for an hour or a bit longer.

This method also works for making braised beef or pork. Fiddle around with the herbs you use and try adding some more veggies: chunk of white or sweet potato, tomatoes, etc.
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post #5 of 10
8/15/08 at 2:34pm
One post....

Wants to know how to cook a heart.....

/emote checks the paper....
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post #6 of 10
8/15/08 at 2:51pm
Well, with fava beans and a nice Chianti of course!!
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post #7 of 10
8/15/08 at 3:27pm
As Mezzaluna said heart is a very tough meat. I have had beef heart that was pan fried and it was four times tougher than leather. Braising would be the best way to go IMO.

Another option would be to slice it very thinly and grill it on skewers. You could try one such piece plain and do some others with seasoning i.e. a dry rub and yet some others with a wet marinade.
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post #8 of 10
8/16/08 at 10:58am

roasting

You can cook beef heart just like you would a stuffed chicken so I imagine boar heart would be good too. Use whatever kind of stuffing you like. I make mine basically like poultry stuffing except I use more oregano and parsley instead of sage or savory. Roast it slowly in the oven with a little water and a diced onion in the pan.
The onion will add flavor to the drippings which make an excellent gravy.
One of my husbands favorite meals.
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post #9 of 10
8/16/08 at 9:48pm
Back in the dark ages when I went to culinary school, I would frequently buy beef heart to fix for my meals because it was inexpensive and I was a poor student. I would trim it and slice into thin strips which I used in quick Asian influenced stir fries and never found it to be tough or leathery when prepared this way.
Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.
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post #10 of 10
8/17/08 at 10:36pm
I agree - its a bit like tripe or squid - either very quick fry in a stir fry or a long slow braise with vegetables and liquid.

If you are going to stir fry, try marinating it in a little soy sauce and a sprinkling of cornflour for 20 mins before cooking - it makes it more tender. You could also go to the lengths of bashing each piece with a meat hammer till its wafer thin. I've tried rump steak like this and it was very good. Just 30 seconds (or less) tossing it in a hot wok with a little vegetable oil did the trick.

Make sure you trim out all the arteries etc first

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