Anyone Who Ever Had a Heart...

...Wouldn't turn around and bake it. They'd braise it, of course.
Here it is rinsed. This is the underside.
This is the top. There's a pretty decent layer of fat on it. You need to trim the tubes, etc. Then, put it in a bowl and let it soak for 30 minutes.
Make some stuffing while you wait.Parsley, thyme, rosemary and breadcrumbs sounds good. Preserved lemon on hand? Go ahead and toss that in too.
Stop making fun of my tying skills. I'm a vegetarian. You don't get this sort of experience baking tofu.
Melt some clarified butter in a heavy pan. Dredge the heart in seasoned flour and give it a good browning.
Give that heart a generous glug of Port before going in the oven.
This is how it ought to look when you set it in.
And when you take it out three hours later.
If you did it correctly, there should be a nice roll of stuffing inside.


Serve it over homemade noodles and impress the heck out of anyone willing to try it.

Mr. Eat The Blog liked it. It was very lean, and very tender. He's looking forward to having the rest as sandwich meat.


You Will Need:

A beef heart
2 cups chopped parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter
Clarified butter
2 cups soft white breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon preserved lemon rind-chopped
Flour for dredging seasoned with salt and pepper
1/2 cup Ruby Port
1/2 cup water
Extra Port and about 2 tablespoons red currant jelly

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Clean and trim heart and soak in fresh water 30 minutes. Drain and rinse. Pat dry.

Mix together parsley, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper, breadcrumbs and softened butter until you have a soft mixture. Slice the heart through the side (ow!) without going all the way through. Stuff with mixture. With string, roll and tie it as best as you can.

Melt the clarified butter in a heavy pan and brown the heart well. Transfer to a baking dish (You'll need one with a lid) pour the wine and water over the heart. Cover it and let it cook for an hour.After an hour, give it a turn. I doubt it will need more liquid, but if it does, add some more wine. Let it cook another hour. Turn it again.

In the last fifteen minutes of cooking (check to see that meat is tender first) remove the heart and strain the pan juices through a fine sieve. Remove the heart to another pan-this one won't need a cover. Toss out the junk. Pour off as much of the clear oil as you acn and place it in a heavy saucepan. Add another glug of Port and the red currant jelly. Boil until reduced by half. Pour it over the heart which you have now transfered to another pan. Crank the heat up to 375 degrees F. and cook another five to ten minutes or until it develops a dark crust. Remove from oven to a heavy baking sheet. Tent with foil and let stand at least twenty minutes before carving.