Heart Roast

This method of cooking heart meat was inspired by a quick internet search looking for cooking temperatures for rump roast.  It suddenly occurred to me that this might be a good way to cook heart, since it also can be fairly tough.  Well, it was an epiphany.  The roast was tender with an amazing flavorful (that rich steaky flavor that heart meat should have and not that almost liver-like flavor that it can have at times).  My 2.5 year old even snuck around the table and ate all of my 5-year old’s meat when she wasn’t looking!  Good thing there was more!  This will likely become a weekly staple in our house from now on.  Heart is definitely my favorite organ meat.  I buy mine from a local farmer, but both US Wellness Meats and GrassFed Traditions sells them. The heart I used was on the small side for a beef heart, but I am confident that this would work up to about a 3-4 pound heart size.  If the heart you want to roast is on the 4-6 pound side, I think you can make this even more simply by putting the roast in a pan (make sure it’s one that can handle high temperature cooking) and putting it into a 500F oven for 20 minutes.  Then reduce the temperature to 275F (open the door so the oven cools down to 275 quickly), add the onion, cabbage and broth to the pan and cook for 20 minutes per pound for rare (I have done this successfully with a 4 1/2 pound roast).    This would work beautifully with lamb heart as well.

Ingredients:

• 1½ -3 pound beef or lamb heart
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 4 cups shredded cabbage
• 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½-1 tsp Salt, to taste
• ¼-½ tsp cracked Pepper, to taste (omit for AIP)
• ¾ cups bone broth (chicken or beef)
• 2-3 Tbsp tallow (or other good cooking fat like extra virgin coconut oil)

 

1.    Trim any vessels or tough sliverskin off the heart meat.  This is easiest with a very sharp boning knife.  Hearts are typically cut open already (part of the USDA inspection before you can buy it).  If not completely open, finish the cut so the meat can lie flat.
2.    Prepare some lengths of butcher twine.  You’ll want 1 to go the length of the heart and then 1 per inch around the width of the heart.
3.    Coast the inside of the heart with crushed garlic, salt and pepper.  Roll the heart up into a roast shape with the seasonings on the inside (I found it easier to cut the heart in half lengthwise, and rotate one half around so that my roast didn’t have a fat side and a skinny side).  Tie the lengthwise truss first.  Then start tying the widthwise trusses every inch or so down the length of the heart, tucking in any bits as you go.  This does take some practice, so don’t worry if it’s not perfect your first time (plus you can always cut a truss and redo it if you need to). When your heart is trussed, sprinkle more salt and pepper around the outside.
4.    Slice onion into ¼” thick semicircles.  Preheat oven to 275F.
5.    Heat an oven-safe skillet, roasting pan or shallow pot over medium-high heat (I used a cast iron frying pan).  Add tallow to the pan.
6.    Place heart in pan and sear on each side, rotating every minute or slightly less with tongs until all sides browned.  Once browned, remove from the pan and set aside.
7.    Add onion to the frying pan and cook, stirring frequently, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add cabbage to pan and stir, until wilted, about 1 minute.
8.    Pour broth into the pan.  Lay the roast on top of the cabbage and onion.  Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes per pound for rare (25 minutes per pound for medium-rare).
9.    Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes.  Remove the trusses, slice and enjoy!  Serve with cabbage and onions.  Also, the broth from the pan can be thickened to make gravy or poured au jus style over mashed cauliflower or turnips.