Slow-Cooked Nourishing Beef Heart Stew in the Instant Pot

A comforting and rich stew made with nourishing ingredients such as beef heart, bone broth, and grass-fed butter makes the perfect meal for the colder season. Slow cooked in the Instant Pot, this beef heart is so tender and full of flavor that everybody will ask for more!

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Beef Heart: a versatile delicatessen packed with nutrients

Beef (or mutton, lamb, or venison) heart is probably the easiest organ meat to try for a newbie. After all, the heart is a muscle even though is also an organ, and cooking heart is not very different from cooking other muscle meats. A great way to get started on nose to tail eating (read more about why you should and how to get started here).

A beef heart can be prepared in many different ways. It can be sliced up and grilled or fried in a pan just like a steak, it can be cooked whole in the oven just like a roast, slow-cooked into a stew, or added to soups.

If prepared properly, beef heart is very tender meat. Taste-wise, beef heart has a stronger taste than a steak or roast, with a slightly gamey flavor that reminds venison. Whereas the meat is very lean, the heart has a more or less thick layer of fat on the outside. This fat is very flavourful and tender, and I recommend including it in your recipes for extra nutrients and flavor. When rendered into a stew, the fat makes a delicious thick sauce or gravy.

Nutrients in beef heart

As all organ meats, the heart is higher in nutrients compared to other muscle meats. In particular, heart meat is rich in folate, iron, zinc, selenium, and vitamins B (especially B12), which support heart health, metabolism, immune system, cell growth and function.

Heart meat is also a source of two unique compounds: coenzyme Q10 and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), two powerful antioxidants that prevent cellular damage, slow down the aging process, improve energy levels, and prevent cardiovascular disease.

These nutrients make heart meat a recommended choice for pregnant and lactating women, growing children, and anyone who is fighting or recovering from an illness, or is looking to improve their overall health and energy levels.

A meal packed with healthy, nourishing ingredients

For this particular recipe, I included other nutrient-rich ingredients to make this stew extra nourishing and comforting and ideal for the colder season, when our bodies need that extra boost.

Grass-fed butter, despite being demonized by modern medicine and media, is a healthy fat source and is rich in many essential nutrients. Butter from grass-fed cows is rich in vitamins A, D, E, and K, selenium, with anti-oxidant and immune-boosting properties that can protect against heart disease, degenerative disease, and cancer, as well as ensure the proper growth and development of children.

Bone broth (find my favorite Instant Pot bone broth recipe here) is highly nutritious and rich in collagen and glycine (read about the benefits here), as well as amino acids, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins. All these nutrients contribute to sustaining healthy bones, joints and skin, keeping the gut healthy and sustaining digestion, lowering inflammation, and promoting detoxification. Bone broth can even help sleep better and improve our mood!

Finally, you can add your choice of vegetables to complete the meal and add some color and extra nutrients. I chose to add sweet potatoes this time. Sweet potatoes are a good source of fibers, as well as beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium, and manganese.

Ingredients for this Nourishing Beef Heart Stew

• 1 beef heart (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tablespoons of grass-fed butter
• 1 cup of bone broth (or water)
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon of dry sage
• 1 teaspoon of dry rosemary
• 1 clove of garlic (optional)
• Vegetables of choice (optional)
• Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

How to make this Nourishing Beef Heart Stew in the Instant Pot

1. Cut the heart into 1-inch cubes using a sharp knife. Trim the harder pieces from the heart cavity off and, if desired, trim some of the outer fat layer off as well (but leave some tasty fat!).
2. Turn on the Instant Pot in “sauté” mode and add the butter and garlic (if desired). Once the pot is hot and the butter melts, add the heart meat. Season with salt and your choice of herbs and let the meat sauté for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spatula.

3. Add the bone broth or water and stir to combine. Turn the “sauté” mode off and set the Instant Pot on “slow cook” (normal setting) for 3 hours.

4. Once the heart has slow-cooked for 3 hours, you can add your choice of vegetables (such as sweet potatoes, carrots, or potatoes). To do so, turn the Instant Pot off, open the lid, combine the cubed vegetables in the pot with the meat, and turn on the Instant Pot on “pressure cook” for as long as the vegetables require (about 15 minutes should be enough for most). If you want to serve the stew without any vegetables, skip this step.
5. Once the meat and vegetables (optional) are cooked, open the Instant Pot and turn it on “sauté” mode for about 10 minutes or until the stew sauce has thickened enough. Stir frequently with a wooden spatula.
6. Serve the stew warm and garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

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6 quart Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1

REDMOND real sea salt

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5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Nourishing Beef Heart Stew

A comforting and rich stew made with nourishing ingredients such as beef heart, bone broth, and grass-fed butter makes the perfect meal for the colder season. Slow cooked in the Instant Pot, this beef heart is so tender and full of flavor that everybody will ask for more!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time3 hrs 30 mins

Course: Main Course

Servings: 6

Equipment

• 1 Instant Pot with slow cook mode

Ingredients

• 1 beef heart fresh or frozen
• 2 tablespoons of grass-fed butter
• 1 cup of bone broth or water
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt adjust to taste
• 1 teaspoon of dry sage
• 1 teaspoon of dry rosemary
• 1 clove of garlic optional
• Vegetables of choice optional
• Fresh parsley for garnish optional

Instructions

• Cut the heart into 1-inch cubes using a sharp knife. Trim the harder pieces from the heart cavity off and, if desired, trim some of the outer fat layer off as well (but leave some tasty fat!).
• Turn on the Instant Pot in “sauté” mode and add the butter and garlic (if desired). Once the pot is hot and the butter melts, add the heart meat. Season with salt and your choice of herbs and let the meat sauté for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spatula.
• Add the bone broth or water and stir to combine. Turn the "sauté" mode off and set the Instant Pot on "slow cook" (normal sertting) for 3 hours.
• Once the heart has slow-cooked for 3 hours, you can add your choice of vegetables (such as sweet potatoes, carrots, or potatoes). To do so, turn the Instant Pot off, open the lid, combine the cubed vegetables in the pot with the meat, and turn on the Instant Pot on “pressure cook” for as long as the vegetables require (about 15 minutes should be enough for most). If you want to serve the stew without any vegetables, skip this step.
• Once the meat and vegetables (optional) are cooked, open the Instant Pot and turn it on “sauté” mode for about 10 minutes or until the stew sauce has thickened enough. Stir frequently with a wooden spatula.
• Serve the stew warm and garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.