Collegiate Times

Brian Cromer Recipe of the Week Beef Heart

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

For $5 or $6, you can cook a steak dinner for two this Valentine’s Day. Available at most ethnic food stores, the heart is an overlooked cut of beef. Some simple butchering allows the beef heart to be broken down into several large steaks. Marinade them for six hours or overnight before grilling them for added flavor. This recipe is a hearty and unique alternative to the usual steak.

Ingredients:

1 beef heart

1 navel orange

1 lemon

5 serrano chile peppers

4 cloves of garlic

2 cups olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 bunch baby spinach

Directions:

1. Juice the orange and lemon, mince the garlic and slice the chile peppers. Combine the orange juice, lemon juice, chile peppers, garlic and cider vinegar in a small bowl. Season them with salt and pepper, then divide the mixture in half.

2. Add the Dijon mustard to one half of the mixture. While whisking, drizzle one cup of the olive oil into the bowl. Make sure to add the oil slowly so the mixture emulsifies into a salad dressing consistency. 

3. To break down the beef heart, begin by splitting it in half lengthwise. Trim off the fatty membrane covering the outside of the organ and cut away the inner membrane. Separate the thin sections of the heart from the thicker parts, cutting them into planks about six inches long.

4. Add the remaining cup of olive oil to the other half of the mixture. Submerge the heart steaks into the liquid. Refrigerate them for six hours or overnight. 

5. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and allow them to warm to room temperature. Pat them dry and liberally season them with salt and pepper.

6. On high, grill the steaks in a cast iron pan or on a charcoal grill. Flip them after seven to eight minutes, depending on the width of the steak. Allow the steaks to rest for at least five minutes after grilling. Dress the baby spinach with the orange-chile pepper dressing and serve.  

A version of this article appeared in the Feb 13 issue of the Collegiate Times.