This Stuffed Beef Heart recipe is a hearty, traditional dish inspired by mid-20th century cooking. Beef heart was a common ingredient in many households and adds nutrient-dense variety to your meals.
Beef Heart Recipe
Beef heart has a mild, beefy flavor and can be enjoyed much like a steak—except it brings the concentrated nutrition of organ meat.
Directions
How to make Stuffed Beef Heart:
- Ask your butcher to trim away fat, arteries, and veins, or trim the heart yourself.
- Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C).
- Rinse the heart thoroughly and pat dry.
- Fill the heart’s cavity with your chosen stuffing.
- Skewer the edges and tie the heart securely with kitchen twine.
- Lightly dredge the stuffed heart in a mix of flour, salt, and pepper (for example: 1/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper).
- Heat 3 tablespoons of bacon fat in a heavy Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with a lid.
- Brown the stuffed heart on all sides over medium-high heat.
- Add about 1 inch of boiling beef broth (or water) to the pot to come partway up the heart.
- Cover with the lid and transfer to the oven.
- Bake for approximately 2 hours, or until the meat is tender when pierced.
- Remove from the oven and let rest briefly, then cut the twine and remove skewers.
- Slice the stuffed heart thinly with a sharp knife and serve warm.
Ingredients
- 1 beef heart (or 2 calf hearts)
- 4 cups prepared bird stuffing
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons bacon fat (or other cooking fat)
- Boiling beef broth or hot water
Taste & Texture
Curious about how beef heart tastes and feels? Beef heart is a working muscle, so its texture is closer to brisket or steak than to softer organ meats. It has a rich, beefy flavor and can be slightly firm if overcooked. The best approaches are slow, moist cooking—like braising at low temperature—to tenderize the muscle. Alternatively, slice it very thin and sear quickly over high heat for a steak-like result.
Variation: Pickled Beef Heart Appetizer
This classic pickled version appears in older cookbooks and was a practical wartime recipe. To prepare: remove connective tissue and fat, then place the heart in a covered pot and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon allspice, 1 bay leaf, and 3 whole cloves. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for about 3.5 hours until tender.
When tender, add 1/2 cup vinegar to the cooking liquid, cool the heart in the vinegar broth, and refrigerate for about 3 hours. Drain, chill, and serve thinly sliced with a piquant sauce or condiment of your choice.
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