Beef Heart Chili from the kitchen of Sybil Campbell Roberts
1 grass-fed/finished 100% Highland beef heart
2 lbs. grass-fed/finished 100% Highland ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 tablespoons organic, unpasteurized lard (this is lard I have rendered from our own hogs); don’t have lard? use an organic, grass-fed animal fat if possible (tallow, butter)
To your personal taste: chili power, basil, kosher salt, cumin, paprika, cinnamon. (We used 3-4 tablespoons chili powder, 2 tablespoons basil, 2-3 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 tablespoon cinnamon.)
Cube the beef heart. Heat the lard in a large stainless steel pot. Brown the beef heart in the hot lard; after browning remove heart cubes to a glass or stainless bowl.
If needed, add more lard. Cook onions, peppers, celery and garlic for 5 minutes.
Add the ground beef and cook thoroughly. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add back in the beef heart.
Stir in HALF of the amount of spices you plan to use. For example, if you want to use 2 tablespoons of chili powder, use only 1 tablespoon at the beginning. Stir thoroughly.
Cook low and slow (simmer) as long as you can: ours was cooked for 6 hours with stirring every hour and tasting for spice flavoring. (Cooking over time concentrates the flavors AND spices; thus the reason for adding only half of your total spice mixture. It is easier to add to than subtract from!)
At the half way point of your cooking/simmering time, add the other half of your spices. Stir thoroughly.
The last hour, check your flavoring and add more of your spices as you want.
Serve it up with our without toppings and enjoy! (We use raw milk extra sharp cheddar cheese for our chili.)
I tried this recipe and the author is absolutely right about the spices, only use half and taste as you go. This recipe comes originally from Kathleen Collins.