How To: Clean a beef heart

Chris Cosentino cleaning a beef heart. I have received a lot of questions about how to butcher a beef heart. I recently made a video to answer these questions. After the break you will find a recipe for beef heart tartare.

Beef Heart Tartare Puttanesca Style

Serves 8 as appetizer

1 Kip heart (approximately 2-3 lbs.), trimmed of sinew & gristle and cut into a small ¼ inch dice

2 each Cayenne Chili or Serranos sliced into very thin rings

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoon small dice red onions

2 teaspoons rinsed salted capers (preferable small ones)

2 Tablespoon Pitted San Remo olives

1 teaspoon finely wrasped lemon zest

15 each cherry tomatoes cut into quarters (must be ripe)

4 teaspoons Julienne fresh basil

4 teaspoons Julienne fresh mint

Splash of extra-virgin olive oil

To taste Maldon sea salt

To taste Coarse ground black pepper

Garlic chips (see recipe below)

2 each Baked Foccacia crackers per person (see recipe below)

In mixing bowl, combine the heart with the capers, red onion, olives lemon zest, and tomatoes gently mix being careful not to break up the tomatoes, add the vinegar, oil and herbs mixing well. Season with the salt and fresh ground black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning. You're looking for a nice balance of meat, to garnish and heat. Place on a plate off to the right side to make room for the crackers. Finish with extra virgin olive oil and garlic chips, then place 2 crackers next to the tartare and serve.

Garlic Chips

1/4 cup of thinly sliced garlic, 10 cloves of garlic

3 cups pure olive oil

Kosher salt

In a small non-reactive heat the olive oil up to 350 degrees using a candy thermometer to keep track. Put the sliced garlic in and fry until golden brown then remove using a slotted spoon and put onto a paper towel to remove any excess oil. Then season with salt and ground pepper then place on new dry paper towels until ready to use.