Braised beef heart

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 1 beef heart
• 2 carrots
• ¼ celeriac
• ¼ leek(s)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 500 ml red wine, dry
• 500 ml beef stock
• 1 sprig(s) rosemary
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• salt and pepper
• Rapeseed oil
• Cornstarch or sauce thickener, optional

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 4 hours 30 minutes

Soak the heart in water for one hour. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Dry the heart and remove any fat and tendons. Wash the vegetables and cut into walnut-sized pieces. Crush the garlic. Season the heart with salt and pepper. Brown the heart in a roasting pan in rapeseed oil. Brown the celery and carrots (if there’s not enough space in the roasting pan, remove the browned heart from the pot and return it after the vegetables have browned). Add the leeks and garlic a little later to prevent them from burning. Sauté the tomato paste in the pot until it turns slightly brown, but not too dark to avoid it becoming bitter. Gradually deglaze with red wine. Pour in the beef stock and add the herbs. Cover and braise in the preheated oven for approximately 2.5 to 3 hours. Once the heart is tender, strain the sauce through a sieve and thicken with a little cornstarch or sauce thickener, if necessary. Slice the heart and serve with the sauce.