Beef, variety meats and by-products, heart, cooked, simmered

Beef heart is a lean, dense muscle rather than a soft organ meat, closer in texture to a tight-grained steak than to liver or kidney, with a flavor that is beefy and slightly mineral but not strong or gamey. It is usually trimmed of its tough outer membrane, fat cap, and internal valves and chambers, then either sliced thin and cooked hot and fast on a grill or in a hot pan, as in Peruvian anticuchos skewers marinated in vinegar and chile, or braised whole and low and slow in stock until fork-tender for stews, pot roasts, and sandwiches sliced thin once cooled. Ground beef heart is also sometimes blended into burger mixes to add leanness and iron without changing the flavor much.

Because it has so little internal fat, cooking it to the mid-range doneness that works for a ribeye tends to leave it chewy and rubbery; quick searing to rare or medium-rare, or a long slow braise, are the two techniques that keep it tender. Look for heart that is deep red and firm, and trim away the fat cap and any hard membrane before cooking. Keep it refrigerated and cook within a couple of days, or freeze for longer storage. A 3 oz (85 g) cooked serving delivers 28.5 g of protein, 57% of the Daily Value, along with 35% DV iron, all for 165 calories and just 4.73 g of fat, making it a dense way to build a protein-forward meal without much added fat.