stewed beef heart with root vegetables and porcini mushrooms

Like most offal, beef heart has a mineral flavor that’s easily tempered by soaking in milk or salt water. Sometimes tough, heart benefits from long, slow cooking. I like to serve it braised with root vegetables and mushrooms in red wine and beef bone broth. I tend to favor porcini mushrooms, which my son and I gather in late summer along forest paths, though any mushroom will do, including cremini, button, and even shiitakes.

SERVES: 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons coarsely ground unrefined sea salt
• 4 cups water 1 beef heart, trimmed of any fat or sinew and cut into ½-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons lard or bacon fat
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 celeriac, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 cup sliced fresh porcini mushrooms
• 1 cup Beef Bone Broth
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1½ cups peeled and chopped tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• ¼ cup chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, whisk the salt into the water. Place the trimmed heart in the salt water and put the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day to allow the blood to clear. Drain the salt water, then give the heart a good rinse and pat the cubes dry.
2. Melt the fat in a wide skillet over medium heat and drop in the rosemary and thyme. Let the herbs sizzle in the hot fat for 3 minutes or so, then discard them. Stir the onion into the fat and fry until fragrant and translucent, about 6 minutes, and then stir in the garlic and fry for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the heart and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, then add the celeriac, carrots, and mushrooms to the pan. Sauté until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Return the heart to the pan and pour in the beef bone broth, red
   wine, and tomatoes. Drop in the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, cover, and turn down the heat to medium-low. Cook for 30 minutes, then remove the bay leaves, sprinkle with the fresh parsley, and serve.