A love for beef heart

Food feeds my soul, but so does writing. And when I combine the two, oh the joys in my heart. Speaking of heart, I have now developed a new nutrient-driven love of beef heart. Organic, sustainable, regeneratively raised beef heart. Yum!

I say this now, but I was not a fan of organ meat. I’m still barely ever going to touch liver or kidney and, well, ulusu/mogodu (tripe). It’s a tried-and-tested texture thing for me, alas. I probably bring shame upon both my houses in not eating ulusu and that freshly fried liver with onions served at every large family gathering.

I wish I could get over the texture thing and my excessively tuned-in sense of smell.

I love reading about nutrition and often take a course or two in it. I try to eat organic, sustainably raised food in all my meals and I’m conscious of what my body responds well to. I notice that I run faster after eating pasta for dinner the night before. I am aware of the soothing power of roast sweet potato in the stomach and on my nerves.

I do not like to waste food, and freeze scraps and make broths with them or create a medley of marinades with leftover herbs in my fridge. Oh, the sauces you can make with what’s left in the fridge, and griddled lettuce is delicious. I’ve also been reading Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols with a keen interest in the science about what different foods do to our bodies. It fed my curiosity again in eating different parts of the animal and the different nutrient benefits.

A friend of mine who is an engineer and a scientist tries many different food and nutrient paths. He tried veganism during lockdown and I wondered whether his Xhosa man card would be revoked since he’d renounced meat. His doctor asked him to quit his veganism after his body reacted adversely to his diet change and compromised his health. He swiftly joined us in the world of omnivores, but he had to source the best meat and now eats among other things slivers of raw liver for breakfast. I absolutely won’t try this.

I mentioned to him that I was searching for beef heart since I’d read of the benefits. He got me some and I requested it be minced, as I do not have professional meat chopping implements. And how big would a cow’s heart be?

As it is with many cuts of meat, stewing them is best. Organ meat also needs to be cooked quickly to seal it. I had no precedent with the beef heart so I went with my intuition and it worked out.

My sister and I chat on the phone most evenings after work as we prep dinner in our respective homes. I had okra in my fridge and some curry leaves that were wilting, and I thought combining these could make a fine curry. It was a Wednesday evening and my mother used to often make mince curry and rice/roti for supper on a Wednesday when we were kids.

My first few bites of this dish were incredible. The beef heart holds robust flavour well, but I also felt great physically after eating it. I slept so well that evening and felt nourished up to my eyeballs. Truly, I feel good nutrition in my eyeballs.

Ingredients: Beef heart and okra curry

1. 1 tablespoon ghee
2. 1 teaspoon avocado oil
3. 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
4. 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5. Half a thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
6. 500g of minced beef heart
7. 10 fresh curry leaves
8. 250g okra, rinsed and fried well
9. 1 medium-sized red chilli, finely chopped with seeds
10. 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
11. 1 ripe tomato, peeled and chopped
12. 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
13. ¾ cup of beef stock
14. 500ml boiling water
15. 1 teaspoon turmeric
16. ½ white pepper
17. A pinch of nutmeg
18. 1 teaspoon cumin
19. ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
20. 3 cardamom pods, crushed and seeds removed
21. 1 fresh bay leaf
22. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
23. ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
24. 1 teaspoon garam masala
25. 1 teaspoon wet masala powder
26. 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

Method:

• Toast the spices and bay leaf on medium-high heat for one minute or until the mustard seeds start to pop.
• Add the ghee and avocado oil in a large, deep pot over medium heat.
• Add the onion. Let it go a little translucent and add the ginger, chilli, garlic and curry leaves.
• Add the chopped potatoes and okra to seal and sauté for about four minutes until they get a little colour on them and coated in spice.
• Add the beef heart in to brown.
• Pour in a splash or two of apple cider vinegar to deglaze the pot and stir through.
• Add the tomato and tomato paste and stir though (I sprinkle in a little brown sugar for old times’ sake).
• Add salt and pepper and stir through.
• Add in the broth followed by the water to cover the contents of the pot.
• Place the lid on and cook on a medium/low heat for about 45-60 minutes, stirring it through halfway to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom.
• Once tomatoes and potatoes are cooked through, it is time to serve.
• Have a last little taste test and adjust salt and pepper accordingly.

While the curry is cooking, make sure you cook some jasmine rice in a little beef broth and water combo. Ladle the curry on a steaming scoop of rice, sprinkle with a little coriander and eat this hearty meal and wait for it to soothe your soul and perhaps even reach the eyeballs.