Serve savory braised beef heart over slow-cooked cabbage and parsnip for the ultimate organ meat experience. Using a Dutch oven and simmering the meat in a mustard broth sauce is the best way to slow cook beef heart. This one-pot meal is naturally low-carb and keto-friendly.
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What is Braising?
Braising is an incredible way of transforming food from its raw form to a succulent, savory finish. You can braise vegetables as we do in this side dish for Easy Braised Cabbage recipe and all types of meat.
In the same style as slow cooking, braising uses a liquid medium for cooking the ingredients over low heat for several hours. Instead of a crockpot, you can use a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a lid. Depending on the recipe, you may cook either on the stovetop or in the oven.
My cast iron Dutch oven is the go-to choice of cookware for braising meat and making my family's favorite stew for freezer-friendly meal prep.
- Great for braising, stewing, baking, and frying
- Cooks meat to a succulent texture
- Oven-safe for one-pot meals
- Beautiful kitchen-to-table serving
If you’re cooking on a budget, you should also be braising because it’s an ideal prep method for tough (but cheap) cuts of meat. Once you know braising basics and you can adapt to beef, chicken, pork, duck, and other meats.
I find this technique ideal for meaty bones and large roasts. Braised Beef Shank is a family favorite you won’t want to miss.
Read on about more important cooking terms for preparing meat and broaden your culinary horizons.
How to Slow Cook Beef Heart by Braising
Braising is a great way to keep meat tender while slowly breaking down collagen and thick muscle fibers over a period of hours at low temperature. It’s quicker than using a slow cooker or crockpot but still gives a nice succulent finish.
The original inspiration came from a recipe on food.com, but I wanted a healthier low-carb option without a premade soup mix, vegetable oil, or breadcrumbs.
Get your ingredients and then prepare for making the best recipe for beef heart!
Ingredients
Butter – We use this for searing the meat. Choose a dairy-free option like olive oil if you prefer.
Beef heart – Use a whole grass-fed beef heart which will be about 3 pounds. I keep the fat on, but you can trim it off if you prefer.
Herbs and spices – Combine parsley, celery seed, paprika, and finish off with salt and pepper. Fresh or dried herbs will both work. I buy organic herbs and spices in bulk from Mountain Rose Herbs.
Vegetables – Yellow onion makes the recipe a little sweet, while red onion adds a sharper spicy accent. Green cabbage and parsnip add yummy vegetables to the mix while still keeping carbs low.
Bone broth – I use homemade beef bone broth since it matches the meat better than chicken broth. You can make your own or buy a shelf-stable broth in bulk and store it in your pantry until you need it. It never hurts to keep on hand.
Dijon mustard – Don’t skip this! Dijon mustard is the secret ingredient that makes an irresistible sauce.
Step-By-Step Directions
Rinse the heart under cold water. Then, trim off any connective tissue or gristle around the heart. Leave the fat on. Roll into a roast and tie in place with butcher’s twine.
Watch a video on exactly how to tie a butcher’s knot. Following along with this visual guide helped me so much!
Add butter (or dairy-free oil) to the Dutch oven and sear the beef heart over high heat on the stovetop.
Rub seasoning herbs, salt, and pepper over the meat. Don’t add the herbs before you sear because they can burn easily.
Toss onion, cabbage, and parsnip in the pot.
Pour in broth. Whisk mustard into the liquid.
Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 4 hours over a very low flame. Use tongs and flip the heart every hour.
I had to use the smallest burner on my stove at the lowest setting while keeping the lid slightly cracked. Avoid boiling for too hard and cooking at too high a temperature, both mistakes will result in overcooked meat.
Once you’re ready to serve, slice heart lengthwise from top to bottom and serve on a bed of cooked vegetables with additional mustard, if desired.
Spoon the sauce over cooked beef heart and vegetables. It’s so delicious, you won’t want to waste a drop!
Finally, if there’s anything leftover, store the recipe in an air-tight container for three to five days in the fridge. Alternatively, move it to the freezer and keep for up to three months.
Heart Recipe FAQ
I understand you might have some questions, particularly if cooking beef heart is new to you or you’ve never worked with organ meats before. Let me answer some common queries and clarify the process for you.
Beef heart has a very mild, slightly sweet flavor. Considering that beef heart is technically a muscle, not an organ like liver and kidney, it’s not surprising that heart is so similar to roast beef. If you don’t already know you’re eating heart, you might not notice a difference between it and other lean cuts of beef.
Vital organs contain concentrated amounts of CoQ10. According to WebMD, 100 grams of beef heart contains 11.3 milligrams of CoQ10 and is one of the highest dietary sources.
Check in with your local butcher and ask if they can source a heart for you. More often than not, they can special order cuts that are not usually displayed in their butcher’s case.
If not, search through the directories listed in How to Find Quality Foods for local suppliers near you or buy grass-fed beef heart online from US Wellness.
More Beef Heart Recipes
Since beef heart is such a great source of nutrition, it’s worth finding enjoyable ways of eating it. Heart contains notable amounts of namely protein, fat, CoQ10, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin B12, choline, and selenium. (1, 2)
Take a look at these other offal recipes for more inspiration!
- Organ Meat Pie
- Beef Offal Stew
- Beef Heart Meatballs
- Beef Heart Tacos
- Ground Beef Heart Burgers
- Bunless Burger with Beef Heart
You can also learn how to make beef cheeks and explore more delicious, underappreciated cuts of beef.
Braised Beef Heart with Cabbage and Parsnip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil for dairy-free
- 1 whole beef heart about 3 pounds
- ½ tablespoon parsley
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 small green cabbage shredded
- 1 pound parsnip peeled and cubed
- 3 cups bone broth
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Trim off any connective tissue or gristle around the heart. Leave the fat on. Roll into a roast and tie in place with butcher's twine.1 whole beef heart
- Add butter or oil to the Dutch oven and sear the beef heart over high heat on the stovetop.2 tablespoons butter
- Rub seasoning herbs, salt, and pepper over the meat. Add onion, cabbage, and parsnip to the pot. Add broth. Whisk mustard into the broth.½ tablespoon parsley, ½ teaspoon celery seed, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 medium onion, 1 small green cabbage, 1 pound parsnip, 3 cups bone broth
- Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 4 hours over a very low flame. Use tongs and flip the heart every hour.
- Slice lengthwise and serve on a bed of cooked vegetables with additional mustard, if desired. Spoon the sauce over everything.1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Notes
Nutrition & Macros
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information.
Never thought of trying braised beef heart before, but gave this recipe a go and was pleasantly surprised! The flavors were deep and rich, and the meat tender. A unique dish that I’ll definitely make again.
Thanks for the great review, Shane.
Though I typically cook my beef in the oven, this braised slow cook version came out far juicer and with half the effort.
I love how delicious and nutritious it turned out to be. The slow braising process made the beef incredibly tender and flavorful. Will serve it again at our family meal!
Thanks, Kyla – always love hearing a recipe was a success.
I recently prepared this braised beef heart recipe for dinner, and it was an absolute hit with my entire family. The dish burst with incredible flavors, offering a delightful explosion of taste with every bite. What I particularly appreciated was how easy the recipe was to follow. I would recommend giving this recipe a try!
So happy the whole family could get in on the nutrition this meal provides. Thanks for your comments, Lorna.
This is SUCH a lovely recipe. I don’t cook often with Beef Heart, so I’m really happy this blog post went into depth on how to prepare it and pairs SO great with the other flavors in this dish. I’ll make it again!
Glad the preparation details came in handy 🙂
I found that I really enjoy heart and am always looking for new ways to cook it. This looks yummy! Would a slow cook in the oven work? Seems it would control the heat better.
Hi Jane, It’s great to hear that you enjoy heart. I think slow cooking in the oven would work very well too!
i cooked a beef hart in the oven yesterday.
By following the braised hart recipe but instead of putting it on the stove, I put it in the oven for 3 hours @ 130 deg (fan).
Came out very nice, but when I cook it again I would only cook for 2 1/2 – 2 3/4 hours & see if it comes out more succulent.
Can’t go wrong with slow-cooked beef. This is one of my favorites! I’ve used regular mustard instead of dijon, and left out the parsnips (didn’t have either on hand) and it still turned out great.
This recipe is very forgiving once you get the technique down. I do suggest you make it again but this time with parsnips. They cook so nicely!
Thanks for the recipe! I’m excited to try beef heart for the first time, this seems like a great way to start 😉
You are very welcome! This recipe is excellent for beginners. Enjoy!