Recipe: Jamaican Jerk Beef Heart

There are several cuts we stock but have never tried in our home kitchen. Being stuck at home seemed like a great time to explore some of these strange cuts that we occasionally sell but haven't tried ourselves. We explored beef cheeks a few weeks ago and the whole shank osso bucco last week so it was time to get even more adventurous! We had pizza delivery ready as a back up but were shocked at how delicious a beef heart is!

Ingredients

• 3-4 lb Highland Spring Farm beef heart

• 5 scallions, trimmed

• 2 medium jalapeno peppers

• 3 peeled garlic cloves

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon ground allspice

• 1.5 teaspoons ground ginger

• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

• 1 tablespeon vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Separate the white part of the scallions from the green (save the green for the coconut-scallion rice recipe below).

2. Puree the whie parts of the scallions, jalapenos, garlic, and thyme into a smooth paste.

3. Add brown sugar, allspice, ginger, pepper, nutmeg, salt, lime juice and oil and pulse a few times to blend.

4. Let the paste stand for at least 10 minutes or up to 2 days.

5. Cut the heart into 2 inch strips by first removing the fat off the heart (this can be saved to render later into tallow or discarded). Open the heart to identify the thin walls and thick walls of the muscle and separate the thin portion from the thick. Slice the thick walls into 2 inch strips. (We saved the thin part of the heart, sliced into thin strips and fried in a pan of butter as a test. Delicious!) This video is a great visual demonstration.

6. Nestle the beef into a deep pan or bowl and spoon the jerk paste over it, coating each side of the strips. Let the meat marinate for 1-24 hours.

7. Prepare the grill for medium-high heat (375-425 degrees).

8. Grill the beef for 4-5 minutes per side, flip and grill the other side for 4 minutes to achieve medium rare. For medium, move the beef off direct heat and grill for another 2-5 minutes.

9. Let the beef rest on a plate covered in tin foil for a few minutes and serve with coconut-scallion rice.

If you're not used to traditional Jamaican jerk flavors, it has a bit of sweetness from the brown sugar, nutmeg, and allspice. We loved the flavor and texture of the meat and look forward to exploring more wet rubs for this flavorful cut.

Coconut-Scallion Rice Ingredients

• 1 can (14 oz) regular or light coconut milk

• 1.5 cups short or long-grain white rice

• 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 cinnamon stick (1 inch)

• 5 scallions, green parts only, sliced very thin

Coconut-Scallion Rice Preparation

1. Bring coconut milk and 3/4 cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.

2. Add rice, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon stick, stir and cover pan.

3. Reduce heat to low ans simmer until all the coconut milk is absorbed and the rice is tender to the bite, 20-22 min.

4. Discard the cinnamon stick and stir in the scallions just before serving.