How Long Does it Take to Cook Beef Heart?
Beef heart is an organ meat that is known to be lean and very flavorful. The meat is usually sliced and then grilled, fried or used in stews and soups. Other methods include boiling the heart or stuffing it and baking it. Depending on how you want to prepare the beef heart, cooking times vary.
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Grilling and Frying
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Grilling or frying beef heart requires the cook to trim off the sinew and gristle and then cut the heart into strips about two inches wide. These can then be marinated or just salt-and-peppered or, if you're going to fry them, dredged in flour.
To cook the beef heart on a grill, get the grate hot as you would for a steak and then cook the heart on the grate for about three minutes, according to Chow.com. Then flip and cook for an additional three minutes.
For frying, heat an oiled skillet over medium-high heat and fry the strips for about four minutes. Then flip them over and repeat the process. If the heart is dredged in flour, fry until golden brown on both sides.
Boiling
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Boiling beef heart, according to GhostTraveller.com, is a way to make the base for soups. You can also cook the heart by wrapping it in cheesecloth after cutting away the gristle and sinew, and boiling it for about two hours. Cut into strips to serve.
If making a stew, you can simmer the meat for about an hour, according to GhostTraveller.com, along with the vegetables and spices or herbs. Remove from the water before thickening the stew, then serve it sliced with the vegetables.
Stuffing And Baking
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If you'd like to stuff and bake the heart, trim off the fat and gristle and then soak the heart in cold water for half an hour. Pat dry and then brush it with olive oil. CooksRecipes.com suggests mixing two cups bread or cracker crumbs (seasoned or not), 1/4 lb. pork sausage, 1/4 cup minced onion and ½ tsp. sage. Cut a slit in the heart and stuff with this mixture. Tie the heart closed, dredge it in flour and brown it on all sides in a frying pan. Place the heart in a baking dish and bake at 250 degrees F. for eight hours. A crock pot can be used, too, with a setting of high for one hour and then low for seven to nine hours.
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