# How to cook a heart **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 27, 2019, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537 "2019-10-27T04:17:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/1 "2019-10-27T04:17:51Z")
I don’t need an answer fast. It will be at least several weeks before I act on this. But yeah, seriously. I bought a whole beef heart, because I thought it might be interesting and hey, it was there when I was picking up a chicken at the farm. It’s frozen, and is now in my freezer. Once I got home, I realized I have no idea what to do with it. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/2 "2019-10-27T04:22:19Z")
Umm…gross. But I assume you can stew it. Chunked up in even pieces. Lots of onion. God. That just sounds disgusting. Delete this. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/3 "2019-10-27T05:03:16Z")
[Recipe for grilled beef heart steak](https://www.macheesmo.com/grilled-beef-heart/), which I have had, and loved. Be careful about not grilling it at too high a temperature-otherwise you could get heartburn. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/4 "2019-10-27T05:52:43Z")
I’m told that ground beef heart is the key to authentic Detroit-style Coney Island chili sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/5 "2019-10-27T10:27:30Z")
My dad would boil it with spices, grind it up, add mayo, onion, celery and other stuff and turn it into a sandwich spread (similar to ham or egg salad). Seems like an awful waste of ingredients, the stuff tasted nasty to me. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/6 "2019-10-27T11:27:05Z")
As a conscientious hunter, I have cooked game animal hearts many times. As per basic anatomy, the heart has chambers. These often contain semi-dried blood, so the organ should be sliced at least in two and cleaned up inside before cooking. The heart is dense muscle that turns best IME with slow, hours-long cooking in salty, peppery water with a bay leaf etc. thrown in. Even after that I just find it not too palatable. It’s not gross, or tough, or chewy. I think the smooth texture just doesn’t sit well with me or my mouth. ---
**Author:** ![Plumpudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Plumpudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plumpudding)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/7 "2019-10-27T12:00:24Z")
You could cure it, if you have the possibility to do so. I’ve only ever eaten reindeer and moose hearts cured, but if done right (not too much salt) it is wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/8 "2019-10-27T12:14:32Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > My dad would boil it with spices, grind it up, add mayo, onion, celery and other stuff and turn it into a sandwich spread (similar to ham or egg salad). > > Seems like an awful waste of ingredients, the stuff tasted nasty to me. Hmm. I don’t care for ham or egg salad, so that isn’t going to be my recipe. But thanks. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/9 "2019-10-27T12:16:03Z")
> [@Plumpudding](#): > > You could cure it, if you have the possibility to do so. I’ve only ever eaten reindeer and moose hearts cured, but if done right (not too much salt) it is wonderful. Ooh, that’s intriguing. My husband already announced he won’t eat it. So something that extents how long it keeps has dial benefits. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/10 "2019-10-27T12:24:54Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > [Recipe for grilled beef heart steak](https://www.macheesmo.com/grilled-beef-heart/), which I have had, and loved. Be careful about not grilling it at too high a temperature-otherwise you could get heartburn. Ooh, thanks. The comments include several other recipes, too. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/11 "2019-10-27T13:02:18Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Umm…gross. > But I assume you can stew it. Chunked up in even pieces. Lots of onion. > God. That just sounds disgusting. > Delete this. Wow! _I’m shocked!_ I opened this specifically to see how many different ways you had to prepare this. Well, that and I couldn’t sleep and got nothin’ else to do. A first! Something **Beck** hasn’t whipped up in her kitchen of horrors. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/12 "2019-10-27T13:17:50Z")
Serious Eats has never failed me for a recipe, so I present you, [heart four ways!](https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/03/the-nasty-bits-beef-heart-4-ways-stew-seared-or-grilled-burgers-french-fries.html). I’ve personally never had beef heart (except maybe ground up with a bunch of other stuff in a sauce or sausage). Chicken hearts, though, I do enjoy. When I was a kid, getting a chicken heart in my bowl of soup was a treat! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/13 "2019-10-27T14:26:13Z")
😃 I love that she served it with beef penis for Valentines day. “everyone tasted the penis, but they liked the heart” (not an exact quote.) ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/14 "2019-10-27T15:21:19Z")
If you get really good at making this dish, you can ask people to start calling you Captain Beefheart. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/15 "2019-10-27T15:33:11Z")
Pretty sure that the way to the heart is through the stomach. So… cook it with tripe? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/16 "2019-10-27T16:54:37Z")
Wear sexy clothing. It’ll cook faster. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/17 "2019-10-27T17:28:56Z")
Just treat it like skirt steak. There’s almost zero fat on it, relative to pretty much any other cut on the animal, so you want to cook it either high and fast or low and slow. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/18 "2019-10-27T19:07:55Z")
First tell him that yours beats only for his, then six months later crush it under foot like an offensive insect. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/19 "2019-10-27T19:59:36Z")
Treat a heart like a tongue. Simmer slowly with bay leaves, allspice, peppercorns, basically, if you’ve got corned beef seasoning you’ve got it made. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537/20 "2019-10-27T20:34:14Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Wow! _I’m shocked!_ > > I opened this specifically to see how many different ways you had to prepare this. Well, that and I couldn’t sleep and got nothin’ else to do. A first! Something **Beck** hasn’t whipped up in her kitchen of horrors. 😉 You’re breaking my heart;) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-cook-a-heart/842537.md?page=2)