Beef Heart Kabobs

I’m not one to celebrate Hallmark holiday’s but I just had to post this beef heart recipe for Valentine’s Day.

Is Hallmark even still around?

If you decide to stay home, like Jeff & I, maybe you’ll enjoy getting a little edgy in the kitchen! Sharpen your knife, slice some grass-fed beef heart, thread your kabobs and make your organ meat sizzle.

If you’ve never had beef heart, you’re not alone.

When I added heart to my latest mass order from U.S. Wellness Meats I really didn’t have anything particular in mind for what I was going to do with it, although now I’m looking forward to adding it to my next order.

Not only is beef heart delicious but it is also a good source of iron, zinc, selenium, B vitamins and especially CoQ10. Actually, beef heart is your best source for CoQ10! Your cells use it to produce energy your body needs for cell growth and maintenance.

“CoQ10 is vital for energy production and prevention of oxidative stress, and people with chronic health conditions are often deficient. There are also some genetic factors that can impede the biosynthesis of CoQ10, making it more important for those people to have a source of pre-formed CoQ10 in their diet.” – via Chris Kresser

The flavor of beef heart is not gamey or dry. “Tastes like steak” is a good way to sum it up. I think you will be pleasantly surprised (especially if you’re a steak fan!) :)

It doesn’t matter whether you grill them on the BBQ or the stovetop, these kabobs won’t take long. And while you wait, you’ll have plenty of time to whip up the pomegranate relish to top them off.

Note: If you typically order your meat well done, you may want to cook a little longer however you might produce quite a chewy meal that way.

Yield: 2 Servings

Ingredients

1-1 1/2 lb grass-fed beef heart
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, divided
1/2 red bell pepper
1/4 red onion
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1 teaspoon fresh chives, minced

Directions

Cut the heart into 3/4-inch cubes and place in a medium-sized bowl.
Add the minced garlic, cumin, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to the bowl and toss to coat.
Chop the red pepper in half and reserve half for another recipe. Slice the remaining half into three strips and chop each strip into manageable pieces for each skewer.
Peel and chop the red onion into quarters. Divide one quarter into three equal pieces and halve each piece. Reserve the remaining 3/4 of the red onion for another recipe.
No need to pre-soak the skewers, simply thread a piece of beef heart, followed by a piece of red pepper, then beef heart, then two pieces of red onion, and repeat until the skewer (wooden, metal or bamboo) that you’re using is full. Lay the completed skewer in a large dish and repeat until all pieces of heart are gone. (For me this created 3 skewers.) Cover, refrigerate and marinate for 24 hours.
In a cast iron skillet or grill pan turn the heat to high and after 1-2 minutes or when the pan is hot, add one skewer to the skillet and cook on each side for 1 minute, for a maximum of 4 minutes of cook time. This will produce a sear outside and rare or medium-rare inside. Transfer the skewer to a plate and repeat with each skewer. Let skewers rest for 5 minutes while you prepare the relish.
Add pomegranate seeds, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and fresh chives to a small bowl and toss to combine.
Serve skewers on a plate with a side of this salty, sweet and savory pomegranate relish.
Enjoy! :)

Beef Heart Kabobs

If you’ve never had beef heart, you’re not alone.