Soaked in wine, slow cooked to perfection, with herbs of Provence

This heart healthy meal will transport you to the south of France and fortify your body with a bounty of nutrients. The meat is fall apart tender and the sweet, gravy-like broth bursting with umami.

If the idea of eating heart makes you squeamish

Keep in mind that heart is simply a muscle like any other. It only differs in that it’s a far superior food to most other meats. You won’t find substantial amounts of CoQ10 in your poultry. Pork heart is the richest of meats in this and many other vital nutrients.

Cooking Notes

Prepare hearts by trimming off any fats and vascular bits or stringy ligaments. This is really no different than what you might do with a chicken breast.
Marinade for at least 24 hours, but feel free to let it sit for 2 days.
You can make the veggies and meat on separate days. Either dish heats up nicely. Roots in the oven, meat on the stovetop.

Squash With Heart & Warm Winter Roots

Created by Patryce Kinga Bak on May 24, 2016

Soaked in wine, slow cooked to perfection, with herbs of Provence this heart healthy meal will transport you to the south of France and fortify your body with a bounty of nutrients.

Prep Time: 1h
Cook Time: 4h
Total Time: 5h

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Heart Marinade

1 Pasture-raised Pork Heart, whole, fresh or defrosted
1/2 bottle Red Table Wine
1/2 head of Garlic, cloves crushed
1/2 bunch Fresh Parsley, ends chopped off
1/4 bunch Thyme, fresh or dried
1/4 bunch Oregano, fresh or dried
1/4 bunch Rosemary, fresh or dried
1/2 tablespoon Celtic or Himalayan Sea Salt

For Cooking Heart

1/2 pound Pasture-raised Bacon, chopped finely
2 tablespoons Pasture-raised Butter
8 ounces Bone Broth
2 big Onions, chopped
2 Acorn Squash, halved and deseeded

Root Veggies

1 Medium Rutabaga, 1/2 inch cubed
5 Carrots, 1/2 inch chuncks
3 Small Red Potatoes, 1/2 inch cubed
1 large Sweet Potato, 1/2 inch cubed
1 large Onion, chopped or sliced
5 Garlic Cloves, minced
Several Sprigs Thyme
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan Sea Salt, or to taste
Fresh Cracked Pepper
1/4 cup Avocado Oil, to coat

Instructions

Marinade

Trim any fats and vascular bits or stringy ligaments from heart.
Chop heart into 1/2 inch cubes.
Combine meat in a large glass or ceramic bowl with garlic, herbs, salt and wine.
Mix and make sure that the meat is submerged. Cover the bowl with a plate or saran warp and place in fridge.
Soak for at least 24 hours.

Heart

Preheat oven to 250°F.
In a heavy 3+ QT cast iron pot melt butter in medium-low heat. Add bacon, onions, a dash of salt and black pepper.
Sauté until onions are golden brown, with lid for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir and scrape up bottom with a wooden spatula. Repeat every minute or so to prevent burning, for a total of about 10 minutes.
Add heart together with all contents of marinade. Scrape up any bits on the bottom again with the wooden spatula.
Top off with bone broth, making sure that the meat is fully covered with liquid. Cover with a heavy lid. Place in the oven and let bake about 3 hours.
Check the meat for tenderness. If needed bake for up to another hour.
Using thick oven mitts transfer the pot to a burner on the stove. Set heat as low as possible and let simmer while you bake the veggies. This will reduce the sauce and make the meat even more tender.

Root Veggies

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place chopped veggies, onions, minced garlic and herbs into a flat roasting dish. Drizzle and coat evenly with avocado oil and salt.
Place halved and deseeded acorns in another dish, without any oil.
Bake both dishes side by side for about 40 minutes.
Check the roots for tenderness at 30 minutes and don\'t let the surface of the acorns burn.