# How should I cook a beef heart? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 16, 2004, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683 "2004-03-16T18:57:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/1 "2004-03-16T18:57:36Z")
I got a beef heart today, and I’ll be eating probably half of it tonight. What are good ways to cook it? I’m probably going to saute it in a pan with some garlic and olive oil, if I get no better suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/2 "2004-03-16T19:03:09Z")
You shouldn’t. Throw it in the trash and make yourself a hamburger. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/3 "2004-03-16T19:23:05Z")
Fast and bulbous! ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/4 "2004-03-16T19:44:31Z")
Is it the same thing as a cow heart? Strip off all the linings, valves and cut off the tubes close to main muscle. It can be tough, so just slow cook it in a stew/casserole; something with red wine, herbs and tomatoes works well. The meat is quite dense and high in fats and cholesterol. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/5 "2004-03-16T22:12:09Z")
Mmmmm… valves and tubes. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/6 "2004-03-16T22:26:18Z")
Fill the valves with spices you enjoy. Then place it on a pile if sliced raw potatoes & carrots which is on a 2 foot square of aluminium foil. Fold up the aluminum around it and cook it on the foil via a skillet. Turn the item from time to time until it is cooked to your desire (rare, medium, well, whatever). Then, carefully open up the foil & eat your heart out…! ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/7 "2004-03-16T22:26:42Z")
Cook it slowly in a flaming cauldron in the bowels of hell. For eternity. And then slap yourself silly for even thinking such a thing is edible. You crazy kid. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/8 "2004-03-16T23:06:08Z")
How big is it? As a kid, we were shown a “cow heart” as a lesson in anatomy and I swear the thing weighed at least 35 pounds. ---
**Author:** ![libwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@libwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/libwen)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/9 "2004-03-16T23:14:17Z")
Should definitely be done with a [captain](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000005JA8/qid=1079478716/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/103-9765972-5424637). ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/10 "2004-03-16T23:42:01Z")
> [@Rabid\_Squirrel](#): > > Is it the same thing as a cow heart? Strip off all the linings, valves and cut off the tubes close to main muscle. It can be tough, so just slow cook it in a stew/casserole; something with red wine, herbs and tomatoes works well. The meat is quite dense and high in fats and cholesterol. Sounds good! I don’t have wine, but the tomato and herb sounds good. I actually already sauted the first half, but I might do the tomato/herb thing for the other half tomorrow. The linings and valves are already removed. ---
**Author:** ![Lambo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lambo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lambo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/11 "2004-03-16T23:51:35Z")
Well, I don’t know about beef heart, but one of my absolute favorite parts of a deer is the heart, sliced into about 3/4 inch ‘steaks’, and pan fried after a very quick dredging in some seasoned flour. Mmmm. It is not the most tender part, of course, but the flavor is out of this world. I know nothing about the preparation of the heart re: tubes and valves, as my stepfather would take care of that before cooking. I would guess that a beef heart would taste similar, but less gamey, and if anything, would be more tender, since beef cattle, as a whole, do less aerobic activity than your average white tail. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/12 "2004-03-16T23:59:07Z")
Lamb’s hearts are better. We have them stuffed with a sage , onion and breadcrumbs and cooked very slowly in a casserole. You have to remove the valves before cooking. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/13 "2004-03-17T00:00:11Z")
The half I ate tonight was good, perhaps a just a tiny bit bitter though. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/14 "2004-03-17T01:57:13Z")
If you sprinkle it with Ranitidine, it will stop it from burning. ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/15 "2004-03-17T01:58:17Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > The half I ate tonight was good, perhaps a just a tiny bit bitter though. That’ll be the Mad Cow. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/16 "2004-03-17T02:42:11Z")
Actually, considering how cheap beef heart is I’ve been using it exclusively for my stir fry meat. I just make sure to marinate the meat first before cooking. ---
**Author:** ![hoopersnot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9e8a1a/32.png) [@hoopersnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hoopersnot)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/17 "2004-03-17T03:31:43Z")
Why, with a lotta love of course! ---
**Author:** ![Sisyphus\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sisyphus\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sisyphus_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-cook-a-beef-heart/234683/18 "2004-03-17T05:13:00Z")
You can actually cook and eat bee farts?