Author Notes
Pig heart or beef heart or any type of heart might be a little intimidating the first time you see it, but I swear it is a delicious meat that is very easy to use. Some other offal can be challenging but the heart is flavorful and can be very tender. The trick is to marinate it overnight and then grill it. Or you can also cut it into pieces and pound it. —The Perennial Plate
Ingredients
- Heart and Marinade
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1
heart (pig or beef)
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5
tamarind pods
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2 cups
water
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salt to taste
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1 tablespoon
balsamic vinegar
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2 tablespoons
olive oil
- Salad
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marinated heart
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1
cucumber, sliced into rounds
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2
spring onions, diced
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1/4 cup
cilantro, minced
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1
grapefruit, juiced
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salt
Directions
- Heart and Marinade
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To break down a heart: Cut it down the middle and remove the ventricles as well as the valve on top. These will be chewy, you can identify them easily as they are the tubes running through the center of the heart. Once the ventricles have been cut out, slice the heart as thin as possible.
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For the marinade: Peel the tamarind pods and place in 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce by half, break apart the seeds so the tamarind pulp gets into the liquid. Let cool completely. Strain out the seeds and mix all the ingredients together. Pour over the beef heart and refrigerate overnight.
- Salad
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Simply grill the heart pieces on medium-high heat for about a minute on each side, developing some nice char. Once grilled, chop into bite size pieces and toss with the other ingredients. Serve.
Chef & activist Daniel Klein and cameragirl Mirra Fine are road-tripping around the United States, filming and editing The Perennial Plate -- an online weekly documentary series dedicated to socially responsible and adventurous eating -- as they go. See below for Perennial Plate's recipes, shared weekly with food52 from the road!
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