Beef Heart: A Practical Guide for the Carnivore Cook
Beef heart is one of the most useful and budget-friendly cuts you can bring into a carnivore kitchen. It has a clean, beefy flavor, a firm bite, and it takes well to both quick searing and long braises. It’s also easy to portion for meal prep and mixes nicely into ground beef for burgers or meatballs. If you’ve never handled one before, the key is a bit of trimming and knowing which cooking method fits the cut you make from it.
What to look for when buying
Most grocery stores don’t keep beef hearts in the main meat case, but a butcher can usually order them. You’ll also find them at Latin American, Eastern European, and Asian markets, or from local farms. Expect a whole beef heart to weigh 2.5 to 4 pounds. Look for a deep red color with a moist (not sticky or slimy) surface and a clean, neutral smell. Fresh hearts often come vacuum-sealed. Frozen is perfectly fine—just thaw it in the refrigerator on a tray to catch drips.
Budget and yield
Beef heart is commonly priced in the $2–$4 per pound range, which stretches a food budget. After trimming away outer fat and tough connective tissue, plan on about 70–80% usable meat. Save the trimmings: firm white fat can be rendered into cooking tallow, and meaty scraps can go into stock or be ground and mixed with other beef.
Tools that make it easy
A sharp boning or fillet knife, a sturdy cutting board, paper towels, and an instant-read thermometer are the main pieces of equipment. A heavy pan (cast iron or stainless) helps with quick searing. If you plan to grind, keep a small tray and parchment ready so you can pre-chill cubed meat in the freezer for 15–20 minutes before it goes through the grinder.
How to trim a beef heart
1) Rinse briefly under cold water to remove any residual blood, then pat very dry. Too much surface moisture fights your sear. 2) Lay the heart with the point facing you. Trim off any thick, waxy outer fat and remove visible silverskin. 3) Butterfly the heart by cutting along one side so it opens up like a book. You’ll see internal chambers and connective tissue. Follow the natural seams and remove tough, white gristle and large vessels. 4) Separate the thicker, clean muscle slabs from the more sinewy sections. The thicker slabs are great for “steaks,” while the trimmings can be cubed for skewers, braises, or grinding.
Optional soak: If you want a very mild flavor, soak the trimmed heart in cold salted water (about 2% salt by weight—20 grams salt per liter of water) for 30–60 minutes, then pat dry. This helps pull out residual blood. It’s optional but useful if you’re new to heart.
Choosing the right cut for the job
- Steaks: From the thick outer walls. Aim for 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch slices across the grain for quick searing.
- Cubes: 1-inch pieces from mixed trimmings for skewers or braises.
- Strips: 1/4-inch strips for fast stir-searing.
- Grind: Dice meat and cold fat into 1-inch pieces, chill, then grind. Mix with fattier beef for juicy burgers or meatballs.
Seasoning basics
Heart does well with simple seasoning. Salt is usually enough. As a baseline, use about 1–1.5% salt by weight of the meat (10–15 grams per kilogram), and adjust to taste. Brush with beef tallow or ghee before searing to help browning.
Quick-seared heart steaks (pan or grill)
- Slice: 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick across the grain. Lightly score any remaining silverskin.
- Season: Salt both sides 30–60 minutes ahead if you have time. Pat dry again before cooking.
- Heat: Preheat a cast-iron pan over medium-high until it just starts to smoke, or preheat a grill to high (around 500°F/260°C).
- Fat: Add 1–2 teaspoons beef tallow to the pan, or oil the grill grates lightly with tallow.
- Cook: Sear 90 seconds to 2 minutes per side for a rosy center. Target an internal temperature around 125–130°F (52–54°C) for a tender bite. Go a little higher if you prefer, but heart can turn firm if overcooked.
- Rest and slice: Rest 3–5 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain. Finish with a small dab of butter or more tallow if you like.
Skewers and quick broil
- Cube heart into 1-inch pieces. Salt and toss with a spoon of tallow.
- Thread tightly onto metal or soaked wooden skewers.
- Grill over high heat or broil on the top rack. Cook 2–3 minutes per side, turning once, to about 130–135°F (54–57°C) in the center.
- Rest briefly and serve. These make easy batch-cook protein for the week.
Slow-braised heart
- Brown: Cube the heart into 1–1.5-inch chunks. Heat tallow in a heavy pot and brown the cubes on all sides in batches.
- Build liquid: Add beef stock or water to just cover the meat. Salt to taste.
- Simmer: Cover and cook at a low simmer for 2.5–3 hours, or use a pressure cooker for about 45 minutes at pressure with natural release. The goal is fork-tender meat you can shred easily.
- Finish: Reduce the liquid to a glossy sauce if you like. This is great for mixing with soft scrambled eggs or serving alongside seared marrow.
Heart jerky for travel or snacks
- Slice: Trim well and partially freeze the slabs for 30 minutes to firm up. Slice 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick across the grain.
- Season: Salt at 1–1.5% by weight. You can add a touch of melted tallow to prevent dryness.
- Dry: Use a dehydrator set around 160°F (71°C) or an oven on its lowest setting with the door cracked. Dry 3–5 hours, flipping once, until the pieces are dry but still slightly pliable.
- Store: Cool completely. Store in an airtight container; refrigerate for longer keeping. This packs well for road trips.
Grinding and blending
Heart blends smoothly into ground beef without dominating the flavor. For juicy burgers, mix roughly 30% heart with 70% fattier beef or beef trim so the final grind is around 80/20 lean-to-fat. Keep everything very cold to avoid smearing the fat. Salt the patties just before they hit a hot griddle. Cook to your preferred doneness and rest briefly before serving.
Using the trimmings
- Render the outer fat slowly over low heat to make clean beef tallow for future searing.
- Simmer sinewy pieces in water to make a simple broth; strain and season with salt. Add seared heart slices when serving.
- Mince small scraps finely and fold into meatballs to add beefy depth.
Storage and prep schedule
- Fresh: Keep refrigerated and plan to cook within 1–2 days of purchase.
- Freezing: Portion into steaks, cubes, and grind packs. Wrap tightly or vacuum seal, label, and freeze. Use within a few months for best flavor.
- Thawing: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator on a tray. Pat dry before cooking. Use thawed heart within a day for best results.
Serving ideas for a carnivore plate
- Sliced seared heart with a pat of butter and a side of bone marrow.
- Heart skewers over a bowl of hot beef broth.
- Shredded braised heart mixed into scrambled eggs cooked in tallow.
- Heart burgers (30% heart, 70% fattier beef) seared on a flat top and finished with a slice of aged cheese if you include dairy.
Common mistakes and quick fixes
- Overcooking: Heart firms up if cooked too long over high heat. For quick-cook methods, keep it to a warm pink center and rest before slicing.
- Slicing with the grain: This makes it chewy. Always slice steaks and strips against the grain.
- Skipping the dry surface: Patting dry is essential for browning. Wet surfaces steam instead of sear.
- Not trimming enough: Leave the dense muscle, remove tough white gristle and membranes. If in doubt, take a little more off the first time; you’ll learn where you prefer to cut on the next one.
- Crowding the pan: Work in batches for better crust and even cooking.
Stretching your dollar and time
Buy two hearts when you find a good price. Trim both at once: steaks for tonight, cubes for a braise, strips for a fast sear, and a bag of grind for later. Render the fat while you cook dinner so you end the night with a jar of fresh tallow. Portion everything, label, and freeze. Later in the week, sear heart strips in a hot pan for 2 minutes and drop them over a mug of broth for a fast meal. The more you handle this cut, the faster you’ll move from whole heart to neatly organized meals.
If you’ve avoided beef heart because it seemed complicated, a single session of trimming and cooking will change that. It’s straightforward once you know where to cut and how to cook it. Keep the seasoning simple, keep the pan hot, and slice against the grain. You’ll get a flavorful, affordable protein that fits easily into a carnivore routine.