Slow Cooker Beef Heart Stew

It’s an excellent way to enjoy meat that can otherwise be tough and gummy. Slow cooking makes it nice and tender! I’ve been making this tasty stew often lately, almost twice a month. It’s easy to make and it’s so hearty and flavorful. I like to eat organ meats because I enjoy their flavor and texture, and also because I believe that for meat-eaters, it’s a matter of doing the right thing ethically to eat the entire animal, nose-to-tail.

Ingredients

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty beef heart recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need: Cow heart: You can’t typically find it in the United States in supermarkets. I either order it online or ask the butcher at Whole Foods to special-order it for me. Beef stock: Store-bought is fine - just check the ingredients to make sure they look OK. Kosher salt: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the stew could end up too salty. Spices: I use garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano. Butter: I use it to thicken the cooking juices into a rich gravy. Cornstarch: A small amount to help thicken the cooking liquids. Chopped parsley: Used purely for garnish. But it does make this brownish dish look prettier.

Instructions

So how do you cook a beef heart in the slow cooker? The detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps: First, you cut the heart into 1-inch cubes and place them in your slow cooker pan. Then you add beef broth and spices. Now cover and cook on high for 4 hours. The next step is to strain the cooking liquids into a saucepan and place the meat back in the slow cooker, cover it, and set it to warm. The final step is to cook the liquids with some butter until they reduce into a rich gravy. You can add cornstarch to speed things up. Serve the stew with the gravy, garnished with parsley.

Expert tip

As you can probably imagine, the heart of a cow works hard and is a tough muscle. To make it edible, you need to either slow cook it as I do here, or you can slice it into “steaks” and flash fry them - no more than 30 seconds per side, keeping the meat rare. If you overcook it, it will be tough and inedible. In contrast, chicken hearts can be simply pan-fried in olive oil and spices, and they come out tender and delicious. Although I do occasionally make beef heart steaks, a stew is my favorite way to prepare this cut. It’s tender and very flavorful.

Frequently asked questions

Recommended side dishes

Since it’s a saucy dish, I like to serve this stew on top of something that would soak up those yummy juices. So I almost always serve it on a bed of mashed cauliflower, then add a green side dish such as roasted Brussels sprouts. It’s also good on top of cauliflower rice.