Stir Fry Lamb Heart Recipe

This lamb heart recipe was inspired when I was thinking of ways and how to reduce my grocery bill in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, recently.

No doubt, meat can be an investment (expensive), even more so when there is transportation and handling cost involved when not using local produce or purchasing at source directly with a farmer. Additionally, compounded on top of consuming prime cuts such as steaks like sirloins, ribeyes or cutlets which can add up. Cue organ meats to the rescue.

Yuck, how most people react to the suggestion of consuming organ meats. That said, consuming them in the alternative world - is becoming more and more popular, whether that's in a pill form (halfway there, although a premium) or by cutting up in frozen cubes to swallow (better) or just as I suggest integrating it as part of your recipe repertoire.

There is more out there than just the liver - there’s tripe, tongue, kidneys, brain, testicles, thymus gland, bone marrow, tail, eyes and for the start of the show with this recipe - heart.

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Heart: Nutritional benefits

Cooking and consuming hearts should be more popular. I do understand they do look gross in their raw state. But this is only the result of your views of food have been altered and manipulated by consuming pretty, clean and perfect cuts such as breasts without the skin and bone.

Your grandma and great-grandma were likely getting down with heart every week and enjoying it. They likely did not consume boneless, skinless chicken breast.

Hearts from lamb or beef are incredibly lean and somewhat versatile in cooking. They are underrated and have similar leanness to fillet steak when prepared and cooked correctly.

Remember, the heart is the most critical organ in any animal. The heart acts like a magnet that holds our emotions and is integrated into the nervous and circulatory systems with its filtering and pressured / pumping action. The heart utilises ketones and fat primarily for energy - so it’s unique we find unique nutrients available when we consume the heart.

Nutrients found in the heart include:

• CoQ10

• Taurine

• Riboflavin - vitamin B2

• Thiamine: vitamin B1

• Carnitine

On top of the fact: we are using lamb in this recipe - lamb has more carnitine than any other animal, which is surprising. But also, I believe and what studies show - nutritionally speaking, lamb and goat outperform beef.

How To Cook Heart?

There are various ways to cook heart. The old-school way your grandma likely knows is stuffed in a slow-cooked method.

However, there are better alternatives in the fast-paced modern world, which is why I cooked this stir fry.

Preparing the heart is the most time-consuming part - however, with a bit of practice, this becomes quick and takes 5 minutes maximum.

I will have a video showcasing how to prepare it HERE.

You want to remove most of the outside fat and remove the top part of the heart. From there, you want to open the heart and butterfly it open. This will allow you to remove the valves and remove any clots easily.

This might sound unappealing, but this is part and parcel of building awareness around your food - getting your hands dirty and connected once the inside of the lamb heart is void of tough fibres, clots, and valves, slice lengthwise into 1 cm strips and put aside.

Prepare the vegetables, trying to cut them into equal sizes to help with cooking time.

Easy and quick heart stir fry recipe.

You do not need to use premium steak to create a stir fry. Look no further than using the heart as the star of the show and meat of choice in a stir fry.

Lamb's heart is lean and tender - which makes for an excellent more nutrient-dense alternative to your standard steak. You will be surprised by how good it tastes. If you’re on the fence or have fussy eaters, meet me halfway with a 50/50 split.

Stirfries are an excellent method, whilst being fun to cook and can be adjusted on what you have available, i.e. not set in stone. This lamb stir fry recipe would make a great midweek meal for 2.

I had a selection of bell peppers, carrots, red onion, pak choy and some spinach. I also complimented the stirfry with freshly grounded spices: cumin seeds, coriander seeds and chilli powder. Other options could include spring onion, garlic, snap peas, baby corn, mushrooms, aubergine, sesame seeds, honey, coconut aminos, asparagus and other spices and fresh herbs.

The most important part is the preparation of the ingredients, so I see them in a uniform size, shape, and thickness to match the cooking speed. For example, the carrot is sliced relatively thin = which makes it quick to cook. But also the order of stirfrying vegetables. This depends on the thickness and texture you want to create. Ha ing soggy pak choy or undercooked onions lacking caramelisation would not be appealing.

HOW TO COOK LAMB HEART

First, I cooked the vegetables so they were cooked and did not alter the flavour and texture of the lamb hearts. Once the vegetables were cooked in the best order, I removed them to a warm plate and then cracked on with the lamb hearts. Once the lamb hearts were cooked to my liking - slightly blushing pink (medium rare) I returned the vegetables.

I used ghee as the cooking fat; however, coconut or extra virgin olive oil could have been used. I had no luxury of having honey, coconut aminos or a lime available, so I had to settle for a squeeze of lemon.

As I mentioned, keep the recipe adaptable to your needs and flexible with what you have available to cook. The lamb heart stir fry makes the ideal recipe for two but can also be doubled to feed four or for bulk as a meal prep option for lunch.

LAMB HEART STIR FRY RECIPE

Serves: 2
Skill level: Easy
Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

LAMB HEART STIR FRY INGREDIENTS

• 2 lamb hearts (200 grams each approx) - thinly sliced lengthways (video instructions to prep above)

• 1/2 tbsp ghee

• 1 red onion - sliced

• 3 garlic cloves - finely crushed and chopped

• 1-inch knob of ginger grated

• 1 red/yellow or green bell pepper - thinly sliced lengthways (I used 1/2 a red and green = 1 whole)

• 1/2 carrot - thinly sliced at an angle.

• 1/2 head of a small pak choy - separated and sliced

• A small handful of baby spinach

• Fresh cilantro (coriander) - 20 grams

• Spice mix: 1 tsp cumin seeds + 1/2 coriander seeds + 1/2 paprika

Optional

• 1/2 tbsp honey

• 1/2 tbsp coconut amino

• 1 lime or lemon squeezed

• More vegetables: Baby sweetcorn/mangetout/snap peas/baby leeks/green beans

• Nigella seeds to garnish

LAMB HEART STIR FRY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the lamb heart and vegetables as outlined above.

2. Preheat a wide saucepan or wok on medium-high.

3. Add 1/2 the ghee to the pan.

4. Cook the vegetables (minus pak choy and/or spinach)—first and the onion to caramelize for 2 minutes. Then add the ginger and garlic - cook for 1 minute more.

5. Add the spice mix.

6. Followed by the carrot - cook for 2 minutes. (Add a splash of water if the pan starts to stick)

7. Add the bell pepper - cook until softened slightly.

8. Remove to a warm plate. Then add the remaining ghee.

9. Turning the heat up slightly. Add the lamb heart slices - cook for 2 minutes - turning over the sides.

10. Return the vegetables back to the pan with the lamb heart. Mix together.

11. Add the pak choy and spinach until slightly wilted.

12. Add honey and/or coconut aminos and lemon or lime juice. Mix through and then turn off the heat.

13. Plate up on 2 plates then add the cilantro leaves

14. Season with unrefined salt and serve.

Nutritional Value (per serving)

CALORIES: 425
PROTEIN: 50 grams
CARBS: 15 grams
FAT: 14 grams
FIBER: 4 grams
VITAMIN B1: 0.4MG
VITAMIN B2: 4.9MG
VITAMIN B3: 9MG
VITAMIN B5: 3MG
VITAMIN B6: 1MG
VITAMIN B7:
VITAMIN B9: 30UG
VITAMIN B12: 22UG
CHOLINE: 210MG
VITAMIN A: 206IU
RETINOL: 26UG
VITAMIN C: 75MG
VITAMIN D: 0IU
VITAMIN E: 1.5MG
VITAMIN K: 6UG
CALCIUM: 48MG
COPPER: 1.1MG
IRON: 11MG
MAGNESIUM: 60MG
MANGANESE: 0.3MG
POTASSIUM: 625MG
SELENIUM: 90UG
ZINC: 7MG
OMEGA 3: 0.6G
OMEGA 6: 0.6G