Pickled Beef Heart
Pickled Beef Heart is very good and high in protein. The heart is nothing more than a muscle. I know this probably will gross some people out, but I was brought up to try all kinds of food and I love heart. Although I am pickling it, unpickled heart can also be added to many other dishes.
Compared to chicken white meat, beef heart is about equal in calories and protein. Three ounces of beef heart is only 140 calories with 24 grams of protein. So before you turn your nose up, give it a try!
Rinse the heart in cold water removing any blood.
In a large pot place one Tbl of salt, the heart cut into two pieces and water to cover.
Bring to a boil and simmer for about two hours with a lid.
Wash a quart jar and lid with hot soapy water and rinse.
Boil the jar and lid for 10 minutes to sterilize.
In a medium pot heat vinegar and water just until it starts to boil.
Once the heart is tender, remove it to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, peel the skin and remove all fat and arteries. Slice it 1/4″ – 1/2″ thick.
Remove the jar from the water. Put 1 tsp of salt on the bottom. Layer pieces of the heart, onion, sprinkle of garlic, sprinkle of pickling spices and packing them tight. Repeat (no more salt) until all of the heart is used up.
Pour the hot vinegar mixture into the jar, put the lid on and tighten.
Store the jar in the refrigerator for a week then enjoy
Pickled Beef Heart
http://www.InDianesKitchen.com
Ingredients
1 beef heart, cut in half
1 Tbl salt (for the water)
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 Tbl (approximately) dehydrated garlic but you can use fresh
1 large onion, sliced and cut into quarters
1 Tbl (approximately) pickling spices, cloves removed
1 tsp salt (for the jar)
Directions
Rinse the two pieces of heart with cold water until all of the blood is removed.
In a medium pot with a lid place 1 Tbl of salt, the heart and water to cover the heart by about 3”.
Bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat to a simmer and simmer for about two hours or until tender. To tell if it is tender, pierce the skin part with a fork. The fork should easily push through the skin into the heart.
Wash a quart glass jar and lid. Put the jar into a deep pot and cover with water 2” above the jar. Bring water to a boil. Boil the jar, lid and ring for 10 minutes. I am not canning the heart, just sterilizing the jar.
Just before the heart is finished cooking, in a medium pot mix the vinegar and water. Bring it almost to a boil. Watch carefully and once it starts to roll but not boil, remove from the heat.
Once the heart is cooked remove it to a cutting board. While still hot, cut away the fat, arteries and outer skin of the heart. Slice the meat into 1/4” – 1/2” pieces.
Into the hot quart jar place one tsp salt, a layer of sliced heart, a layer of sliced onions, a sprinkle of garlic and a sprinkle of pickling spices. Continue layering (no more salt) while packing tight.
Fill the jar with the hot vinegar mixture and seal with a lid. Store in the refrigerator for a week then eat.
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Categories: Pickled, Roast Beef
Reblogged this on O LADO ESCURO DA LUA.
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Thanks!
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Ok, that is one recipe I won’t be trying. Just one though!
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LOL If you didn’t know what it was you would just think it was beef….which it is and it is cooked before it is pickled! But I understand the mind is a powerful thing! I haven’t tried chicken feet!
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LOL! I will take your word for it.
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It does gross me out but I know it is. Culture thing
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I think you have to train your mind not to think about what it is. Just focus an the flavor. I’m sure there are things I won’t try but this is just beef. I love chicken hearts too. I buy them by the bag full, boil them and chow down. Heart has a really good taste to me. But I totally understand how you feel. It’s not for everyone!
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Well I do eat chicken hearts and love the innards – 🙂
So perhaps I would like this and I read your comment to rebel girl snd think it would be tasty…
Anyhow – your post reminded me of an Amy Tan story called Fish Cheeks – it is a cute little story about her eating the meat from the cheeks of fish and how that ancient Asian custom embarrassed her with her American dinner guests
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If you like chicken hearts you will definitely like beef heart. You don’t have to pickle it, it is good right after cooking it or even in a dish that calls for beef. However the pickled beef heart is very good!
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Oh thanks – and later I will come back with two photos now – one to link to dan’s apple tree and the other – a picture of some chicken hearts – because one time I bought an organic whole Chicken and it had almost a dozen hearts – I think the factory workers messed up
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They definitely did mess up! It is very hard to find chicken heart in my area. They stopped putting them in the chickens. I drive an hour away to try to get a bag of them. One year they will have them, the next they don’t! I buy all they have when I do find them.
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Well my aim is to get the liver – I lovvvvvvvve it and I hate when they leave it out – and interesting how your place sometimes has it and sometimes doesn’t –
I was at a small get together earlier this year and the lady made a huge turkey – and her gravy – omg – was a meal itself coz she put the hearts and innards in it. Three helpings of it later she told me all about her tradition of making it that way
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Ok Liver I do Not like. My mom made us eat it when I was growing up and I do not like the taste. That is so interesting about the gravy. I cut mine up and put them in the stuffing.
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Yeah – the stuffing I was familiar with – and she also left her pieces all chunky – and so it seriously was a meal – and even though everyone ate that day – I likely had most dense nutrition from all those innards and gravy fat (perhaps) and maybe the fruit of your mom’s liver serving was the potent way it fed your blood as you were growing – it might be why your brain was even able to know all this kitchen and cooking stuff – hah! Go mom
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Hahaha you are probably right!
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Well I am partial to liver – even tho I can only have “so much” which is why I lie the Chicken liver – they are small -/
And my dog might be mad that I found your blog – he always gets the hearts but maybe not anymore
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Healthy dog food! Lucky dog…lol
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☺️🐕
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Is beef heart cheap ?
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I really don’t know. We buy a side of beef once a year and I ask for the heart and tongue with our beef. We pay for the hanging weight so it’s included in our price. You would have to check with a butcher.
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Well I was just curious and as great as all this chat has been – I’m not ready to dive in quite yet – lol
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That’s OK!
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😳😊❤️
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I guess I’m weird because I like the textures of offal. However, I can’t say I’ve tried pickled heart before. Looks interesting, Diane. 🙂
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Well I had to look up what offal was….lol I guess I do too just never knew the name for it. You must try heart sometime. It is as good unpickled as it is pickled. I also pickle the tongue.
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Yes, both heart and tongue are delicious…once you get over the fear of eating it. Lol
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I think because I peel off the skin it makes it edible to me. Then once you taste how delicious it is it doesn’t matter…lol
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And just in time for Halloween. Bwaa haa haa. Hee hee!
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Hahahaha never thought about that! Good one!
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I’m lucky – I love hearts, and feel sorry for all those people who turn their noses up at the thought of it. They don’t know what their missing out on. My mouth was literally watering when reading your recipe. Sheeps hearts are readily available here so I’m going to adapt your recipe to try using them. I’ll let you know how I go. Oh, and do t give up on lambs liver, it’s delicious if cooked correctly. I hated it to cooked the way my mum cooked it, but now I love it. Get a spring lambs liver. Skin it and only use thin slices of meat only. Discard all the tubes and messy stuff, which means you’ll only be using about a third of a whole lambs liver. Gently fry in melted butter, and eat when still slightly pink. ir try cooking it with mushrooms and sour cream and stirring through ribbon pasta. Stroganoff with liver slices instead of beef. I’m sure you’ll love it Diane.
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It’s so nice to have another person that loves heart as much as I do! I have tried liver in the past and never cared for it but your stroganoff recipe sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!!
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I have eaten pickled cow’s heart my whole life. I love it! This recipe is almost exactly how my family made it. Thanks for sharing!
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You are welcome! I only make this once a year when we buy a side of beef so I really enjoy it when I do eat it! It is so nice to hear a positive comment usually all I get is yuck….lol
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