Beef Heart Stew

There are so many reasons to love a good beef heart stew. Most important, it only dirties up one pot. Second, you can throw it together in the morning and then relax while it cooks all day. Finally, it is so darn good for you.

I have to admit, I was timid when I cooked my first beef heart; nine years of vegetarianism will do that to you. But the research showed, it is full of CoQ10 (a natural antioxidant); it actually has more than my age defying creams and all of my expensive supplements. It provides ample amount of the B vitamins which are so essential for mental health. There is the obvious iron, and not so obvious zinc which boosts your immune system. So I knew it was healthy to eat, but easy to look at, a different story.

I let my passion for anatomy take over and bought an entire heart from the most sustainable place I could find, a farmer that raises his own cattle on pasture. I found his information on the Bay Area Meat CSA, a very cool tool for hooking up with other people, like me, who want to buy only part of a cow because we do not have room for 500 pounds of beef. I picked up my 1/16 of a cow and my heart.

I felt very primal inspecting this beautiful organ I was about to prepare to eat. It made me recall the National Geographic shows that filmed wild cats hunting gazelle and going straight for the heart because they instinctively knew it held the most nutrition. I sliced the heart into stew cubes and admired the lean dark red flesh. I plopped it into the slow cooker without searing it first which made me very happy since there was one less pan to clean. I chopped up your standard stew fare: carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes. I poured on filtered water until the contents were covered and a few herbs to give it that fresh earthy aroma. Then I hoped and prayed that my time and money were well spent and we would actually be able to consume this dish.

When I served the stew, I was in shock at the delicious flavor. My kids who are sometimes wishy washy about meat, could not get enough of the stew even after I told them it was an actual heart. My husband was also astounded that we had just eaten our first heart and liked it. So I dare you to try, it is delicious, so incredibly healthy it may as well be called medicine. As for cooking, it is rather easy.