Around Valentine's Day there was a lot of heart lying around my kitchen because I had a feeling that the penis would not be appreciated by everyone at the table. Heart, on the other hand, is a fairly likeable cut. Beefy with a just slightly gamey flavor (think kidney, except much milder), the texture of heart is something akin to a poultry gizzard. The heart is also one of the more versatile types of offal; it's tough and low in fat but takes well to either quick cooking or long stewing.
By taking this forgoten muscle and giving it a little love you can have a great range of dishes, here is just one of the many I serve at Incanto.
1 beef heart, trimmed and cut into slices or chunks
salt as needed
1/2 large shallot, roughly chopped (save the other half for the vinaigrette)
pepper to taste
olive oil as needed
arugula as needed (a handful per serving)
For the vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 large shallot, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped tablespoon each: oregano, parsley, chives.
Liberally salt the beef heart, add the shallot and oil, toss and refrigerate till youre ready to cook it (an hour is optimal, but for as long as 24 hours).
For the vinaigrette, combine the vinegar, shallot and salt and allow to sit for 5 or 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining herbs.
Grill the beef heart over hot direct coals. Depending on your grill and how you’ve cut your meat, you may want to grill the pieces in a basket or put them onto water-soaked skrewers. Grill to medium rare, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Arrange arugula on plates, top each with beef heart, and spoon the vinaigrette over the organ.
No comments:
Post a Comment