Lamb Hearts

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I've just picked up three lamb hearts in the butchers this morning.

My mam used to cook them for us years ago, and I loved them.

Anyone got any idea how they should be cooked? Something simple please.

Alun

I too remember eating heart as a kid. I'm not sure whether they were lambs hearts or something bigger like ox or pigs heart. Anyway, my mum just used to stuff them with ordinary sage and onion stuffing and roast them in the oven, but maybe you could experiment with some more exotic stuffings? I'd suspect something with fruit in such as dried apricots would suit them well.

Seaneh

aluns idea is probably best/easiest.

themadchef

I used to do a mixed grill with these, liver and kidneys for Dad years ago. Lambs heart is really, really nice.

What i would do: Wash really well, cleaning all the valves etc. I used to steep them over night (important for the kidneys if ever you try them). Slice them horizontally and thinly enough (so it cooks at same time as every thing else), dust with seasoned flour and fry in Kerrygold... i know, not exactly the healthiest but NYOM Big thick batch and you're in heaven.

Alun

One of the chefs in the finals of Gordon Ramsey's latest F-word made a dish that was pork cooked 3 ways, which involved roast pork belly, brawn and thin strips of pigs heart cooked the way you described. It didn't go down too well with the 'select' audience, but that was probably because a lot of them were girls and were a bit squeamish about the whole offal thing, but it sounds a good way of cooking them. You wouldn't want to over cook them though, I'd imagine.

Mr Magnolia

How does heart taste relative to kidneys or liver? I like kidneys & liver btw.

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Mr Magnolia wrote: »

How does heart taste relative to kidneys or liver? I like kidneys & liver btw.

Not as strong a taste as Liver, never had Kidney, so can't comment on that.

I hate liver.

Alun

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

How does heart taste relative to kidneys or liver? I like kidneys & liver btw.

From what I remember, nothing like either of them. Remember, the heart is just another muscle really, not 'innards' like other forms of offal.

blinding

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

How does heart taste relative to kidneys or liver? I like kidneys & liver btw.

Hard to describe but its worth having a go. The times I had them they were boiled but I would say this would not be the best way to go.

Probably roasted with some kind of fruit stuffing and covered with silver foil to stop them drying out.

Let us know how you got on.

Mr Magnolia

Cheers folks. I'll try this out when the spring lamb comes in. Interested to hear how you get on Des.

the beer revolu

I've had beef heart BBQd on skewers.
It was like fillet steak but with more flavour!!

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I'm going to soak them overnight, then make a stuffing and try to stuff them, the holes of the arteries are fairly small, so I don't know how I'm going to stuff them.

Stuffing recipe anyone?

The butcher said to roast them for 45mins, is that about right?

Tree

we used to just wash them under running water, wrap in tin foil and roast. didnt bother trying to stuff the little things. I hate them though, dont like lamb, and find that heart tastes like condensed flavour of lamb.

the beer revolu

Tree wrote: »

we used to just wash them under running water, wrap in tin foil and roast. didnt bother trying to stuff the little things. I hate them though, dont like lamb, and find that heart tastes like condensed flavour of lamb.

MMmmmm now I really want to try lamb heart!!

Minder

I would braise them rather than an uncovered roast - they are prone to drying out. Fry them to add a little colour then stuff them with breadcrumbs, softened onion, parsley, thyme and a little grated lemon rind. Fry another onion, some carrot and a stick of celery, add a stock cube and enough water to cover the bottom of a casserole with an inch of liquid. Add the stuffed hearts, cover and cook for about an hour and a half at 170c.

Check about half way for liquid and add some if it is drying out. Thicken the liquid with a little beurre manie at the end to make a sauce.

dh0661

:eek: My Mam stuffs them with black pudding and roasts them, my Dad has them the next day sliced up for a sandwich.

I tried some years ago when I was a child and did not like them and had forgotten about them until I read this thread.

muckety

I've stuffed and baked them - wrapping them in tin foil prevents them from drying out and make the stuffing fairly moist.

Alternatively they make a lovely casserole, the gravy is really rich and yummy,. Very slow cooking (fast cooking can make them tough) in a low oven with onions, red wine etc.

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blinding wrote: »

Probably roasted with some kind of fruit stuffing and covered with silver foil to stop them drying out.

Let us know how you got on.

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

Cheers folks. I'll try this out when the spring lamb comes in. Interested to hear how you get on Des.

So, I had these this evening.

Just made a normal onion and herb stuffing and stuffed them, which was easier than I thought it was going to be.

I roasted them in tinfoil for 45-50mins

Tree wrote: »

I hate them though, dont like lamb, and find that heart tastes like condensed flavour of lamb.

That's not how I'd describe the flavour at all, yes, you'd know you were eating lamb, but they have a more subtle flavour than lamb chops.

They were lovely, and I'd have them again. I ate two, with mash and carrots, so there's a third one left over, cooked, which I'm not quite sure what to do with.

The parts of the tubes left inside the heart are like gristle, so I just cut around them.

All in all, I'm glad I bought them, it wasn't something I'd cooked before, and now I've added something else to my repertoire. Also, the nostalgia value can't be beat. And for only a euro each too.

SnoozySuzie

I love lambs heart but havent had them in years! My ma use to stuff them(breadcrumbs, onion,butter, parsley+thyme) and roast them. They are even nicer the next day in a white bread sandwich with brown sauce. Use to freak the other kids out in school though at lunch time.

admiralofthefleet

where did you buy them des? buckleys on talbot street sell them fairly cheapish

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admiralofthefleet wrote: »

where did you buy them des? buckleys on talbot street sell them fairly cheapish

Local butcher in Finglas, yeah, saw them in FXBs too when I worked in town, they were about the same price.

the beer revolu

Must get me some of them!!

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the beer revolu wrote: »

Must get me some of them!!

I think most butchers have them now, don't pay more than a euro each for them, or else you're being ripped off.

Alun

Sory for dragging this up, but I got some lambs hearts the other day ... a grand total of €1.50 for two! A surprisng amount of meat on them too I must say, and even my normally offal-hating wife thought they were great. Will certainly be getting them again. BTW I stuffed them, browned them off in a little oil and butter and then braised them in the oven with a little beef stock for about 50mins at 180.

Bought them in Hayes butchers in Bray BTW.

Mr Magnolia

What sort of stuffing did you use Alun?

Alun

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

What sort of stuffing did you use Alun?

Just a simple parsley and thyme stuffing (breadcrumbs, onion sweated in butter, egg, parsley and thyme) that's all. I was planning on maybe something with nuts and apricots in but discovered I didn't have any apricots in the end. Not that there was that much room for stuffing anyway .. I don't reckon I got much more than a couple of teaspoons in each one in the end, as I said they were surprisingly meaty, and there wasn't much of a hole to stuff.

starbelgrade

I love this way of cooking them...

For the stuffing; Button Mushrooms, Celery, Butter, Walnuts, Fresh Parsley, Salt and Pepper, breadcrumbs.

Sweat the mushrooms & celery, add breadcrumbs, nuts, herbs & season.

Cut through the heart pockets & stuff, then sew up / skewer.

Roast for around an hour or until tender, basting a few times. & turning midway.

The Sweeper

Des wrote: »

The parts of the tubes left inside the heart are like gristle, so I just cut around them.

Pity I didn't see this - I would have said the tubes are very rubbery and gristly - when I used to cook lamb hearts, I cut out the central tubes and stuffed the hollow, then cooked, wrapped in tinfoil to prevent trying out. Makes them nice to slice too.

kylith

This thread reminded me that I have a heart in the fridge. I know what I'm having for dinner, stuffed with whatever comes to hand (I have some cream cheese and chives... I wonder what that'd be like).

olaola

Ohh I wonder what it would taste like if you stuffed it with liver, mushrooms & onions. Or too much?
I'll have to do one - do you think it needs gravy?

Alun

olaola wrote: »

Ohh I wonder what it would taste like if you stuffed it with liver, mushrooms & onions. Or too much?
I'll have to do one - do you think it needs gravy?

Might be a bit of a flavour overload I reckon, they're quite strongly flavoured themselves, and as I mentioned they aren't huge inside either (or at least the ones I got weren't) so take very little stuffing.

Gravy wise, as I said, I braised mine so just reduced the stock that was left over a bit and thickened it a little with some beurre manié.

kylith

olaola wrote: »

Ohh I wonder what it would taste like if you stuffed it with liver, mushrooms & onions. Or too much?
I'll have to do one - do you think it needs gravy?

I always think that they taste like a milder version of liver, so stuffing it with liver might be a bit much.

The Sweeper

Hmmm...

You could try a stuffing of breadcrumbs (or use couscous or rice instead) mixed with chopped toasted pine nuts, chopped mint, chopped dried apricot and a sprinkle of cinnamon - bind with a little melted butter, stuff hollowed out hearts and roast in tinfoil.

Alternatively try breadcrumbs, chopped chestnuts that have been fried off in a touch of butter, some chopped rosemary, some chopped garlic and some finely chopped onion (very finely chopped).

The secret with stuffing these is to keep the stuffing very fine - too coarse, and it'll fall out of the heart, where even if you hollow it out by removing the tubes you can still only fit about a heaped tablespoon of stuffing into it. That's why I did them in the foil pockets - you can add a couple more spoons of stuffing and it all cooks in with the heart so you get the flavour.

kylith

The Sweeper wrote: »

The secret with stuffing these is to keep the stuffing very fine - too coarse, and it'll fall out of the heart, where even if you hollow it out by removing the tubes you can still only fit about a heaped tablespoon of stuffing into it. That's why I did them in the foil pockets - you can add a couple more spoons of stuffing and it all cooks in with the heart so you get the flavour.

You must be getting very small hearts. I fit the best part of half a cereal bowl of stuffing in mine last night (brown breadcrumbs, melted butter, sage, chives, thyme) and I didn't bother removing the tubes either. Just crammed it in there with my thumb.

Verdict; scrummy.

The Sweeper

kylith wrote: »

You must be getting very small hearts. I fit the best part of half a cereal bowl of stuffing in mine last night (brown breadcrumbs, melted butter, sage, chives, thyme) and I didn't bother removing the tubes either. Just crammed it in there with my thumb.

Verdict; scrummy.

Yeah - I buy lamb's hearts, so they're about the size of my closed fist (and I got small hands). Lambs aren't very big.

restaurants

Minder wrote: »

I would braise them rather than an uncovered roast - they are prone to drying out. Fry them to add a little colour then stuff them with breadcrumbs, softened onion, parsley, thyme and a little grated lemon rind. Fry another onion, some carrot and a stick of celery, add a stock cube and enough water to cover the bottom of a casserole with an inch of liquid. Add the stuffed hearts, cover and cook for about an hour and a half at 170c.

Sounds great.
Why do the butchers not carry the lamb hearts, like the rest of the lamb joints.?
They all do liver, etc, but not the hearts.

kylith

The Sweeper wrote: »

Yeah - I buy lamb's hearts, so they're about the size of my closed fist (and I got small hands). Lambs aren't very big.

So do I. From a stand selling nothing but lamb. It was only the size of my wee girlie fist too, smaller even. Maybe my lamb just had jumbo ventricles.

kylith

restaurants wrote: »

Sounds great.
Why do the butchers not carry the lamb hearts, like the rest of the lamb joints.?
They all do liver, etc, but not the hearts.

Most of them do have them if you ask. Depending on where I go I often have to ask for kidney's too.

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kylith wrote: »

So do I. From a stand selling nothing but lamb. It was only the size of my wee girlie fist too, smaller even. Maybe my lamb just had jumbo ventricles.

I was also surprised with the amount of stuffing I got into my hearts.

kylith wrote: »

Most of them do have them if you ask. Depending on where I go I often have to ask for kidney's too.

Over the last 12 months or so I've started seeing hearts in an increasing number of butchers, but that's in Dublin, I notice the poster you replied to is in Galway.

But yeah, all good butchers will order in any meat you ask for.

Darkginger

Just picked up some hearts today, they were only 50c each in my local Centra. I've found a recipe online for Hot and Spicy Lambs' Hearts, so am going to give that a try. I'll let you know how it goes