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It takes a little heart

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blind99
blind99 Posts: 4,971
in EggHead Forum
when a friend offers 5 pounds of free chicken hearts, how can you say no?  Open ‘em up and trim them, and wash out any clot. I also gave them a smack with the old meat tenderizer to break down some of the connective tissue. Marinated in “liquid aminos,” brown sugar, Worcestershire. 



Onto the grill. 




And a skewered snack:



Tender, and good flavor, but too salty. The other 4.9# will benefit from this test run. 

Dinner was pork chops and asparagus. For some reason no one else in my family eats the hearts. 





Happy weekend all


Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
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Comments

  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
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    I've never had a chicken heart, no idea whether I'd like them or not.  I'd guess they'd be more than a little tough/chewy.  Are they?  Your pork chops look fantastic!

    The hot dog chili I grew up with is made out of beef heart, which I didn't know at the time, but I always LOVED that stuff, and I order it shipped to me frozen, once in a while (already mixed -- I just add a tiny bit more cumin and chili powder) to make "Coney Island" hot dogs like I remember them.  That's my only experience with any kind of animal heart.
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  • smokingal
    smokingal Posts: 1,025
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    I'm all for offal but curious if they have a texture like gizzards?  I could never get into the hard, chewy texture of those things.
    It's "Smokin Gal", not "Smoking Al".
    Egging in the Atlanta GA region
    Large BGE, CGS setup, Kick Ash Basket, Smokeware SS Cap,
    Arteflame grill grate

    http://barbecueaddict.com
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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
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    I’m a chicken liver and heart kinda guy.  I would’ve skipped the chops if you would’ve made the other 4.9lbs.   

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • Gulfcoastguy
    Gulfcoastguy Posts: 6,304
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    I like chicken livers but gizzards and hearts are a bit too tough for me. They become dog treats.
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,491
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    Cheekun Heart was my favorite treat as a kid, but I haven't had one in 4 decades or so now; don't remember them ever being "tough".... 
    _____________

    Tin soldiers and Johnson's coming...


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  • blind99
    blind99 Posts: 4,971
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    @theophan @smokingal @gulfcoastguy i trimmed them pretty well, and gave them a good WHACK with the heavy meat tenderizer.  they were definitely not too chewy.  i just wish i got the flavor better.

    @mattman3969 i've never done chicken livers.  if you have some tips on how you like to do the hearts and livers let me know!  or stop on by if you're in the neighborhood... the other 4.9 lbs is in my freezer, i'm sure the wife would love for them to be gone!
    Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    I’d hit that. The first and only time I’ve had grilled chix hearts was at a Peruvian resto here, and they were delicious. 

    My all time favorite  rub is equal parts (by volume) of ground cumin, cayenne, kosher salt. I’ve never gone wrong with it, when not knowing how to season a particular cut/protein. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
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    Nice. Be still my ....
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
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  • 20stone
    20stone Posts: 1,961
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    For tougher bits, I would think season, SV and then grill might help power through some of the chew. 

    As an aside, I was looking for a clip of “the chicken heart” (thump, thump...thump, thump), and find that it was made famous by serial rapist Bill Cosby.  One more bit of youth stripped away. 
    (now only 16 stone)

    Joule SV
    GE induction stove
    Gasser by the community pool (currently unavailable)
    Scale (which one of my friends refuses to use)
    Friends with BGEs and myriad other fired devices (currently unavail IRL)
    Occasional access to a KBQ and Webber Kettle
    Charcuterie and sourdough enthusiast
    Prosciuttos in an undisclosed location

    Austin, TX
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    strawberries 
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • flyer_egger
    flyer_egger Posts: 128
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    Great Keto snack    I enjoy them every time I can buy a lb. or more 

    I couple skewers of hearts and a couple of livers   good eats 
    NEPA, Med egg,
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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
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    blind99 said:

    @mattman3969 i've never done chicken livers.  if you have some tips on how you like to do the hearts and livers let me know!  or stop on by if you're in the neighborhood... the other 4.9 lbs is in my freezer, i'm sure the wife would love for them to be gone!
    I generally just cook the amount that is in the goodie bag inside the chicken.  I will make a small bowl out of aluminum foil and season everything heavy with Swamp Venom or Firewalk. On the egg they good until they 170 or so.   

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • OhioEgger
    OhioEgger Posts: 903
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    Chicken hearts are one of my favorites. If you ever go to a churrascaria (barbeque restaurant) in Brazil, one of the featured items will be chicken hearts. They bring them out on a spit and you take as many as you like. I generally take all of them. The various spits of all kinds of meat keep coming around until you tell them to stop. And of course they'll keep bringing you cold beer to wash it all down. It's almost a religious experience.
    Cincinnati, Ohio. Large BGE since 2011. Still learning.
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  • bluebird66
    bluebird66 Posts: 2,733
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    I love chicken hearts and gizzards.
    Large Egg with adjustable rig, Kick Ash Basket, Minimax and various Weber's.
    Floyd Va

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  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
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    Interesting -- thanks for the added info about them not being too chewy.  I don't think I've ever seen chicken hearts in a local store, but maybe next time I get a whole chicken I'll try eating the one that's with it and see what it's like.
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  • OhioEgger
    OhioEgger Posts: 903
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    When I was a kid we at chicken gizzards a LOT. Cheapest meat you could buy and I still love them. I know I'm kind of in the minority, but I think they're offal good.
    Cincinnati, Ohio. Large BGE since 2011. Still learning.
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  • blind99
    blind99 Posts: 4,971
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    @OhioEgger my grandparents threw gizzards into spaghetti sauce, or made giblet gravy. I really like trying weird cuts, for fun, but hard to find. 

    @nolaegghead damn, that explains why my little girl picked one up, chewed on it, and started screaming! 
    Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
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  • td66snrf
    td66snrf Posts: 1,822
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    I get to eat the heart and gizzard every time I cook a whole chicken. 
    XLBGE, LBGE, MBGE, SMALL, MINI, 2 Kubs, Fire Magic Gasser
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  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,767
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    Heart Roulade , will do again...was like butter after a 24 hour Sous Vide homemade bacon wrapped around chicken hearts assembled with Meat Glue, cured then in the bath...great this way but will be finishing on the Egg and thinly sliced 



    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
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  • blind99
    blind99 Posts: 4,971
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    dang that is genius!  everyone is worried about bacon causing heart trouble...  this thing is like a bacon hug for the heart!
    Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,491
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    OhioEgger said:
    When I was a kid we at chicken gizzards a LOT. Cheapest meat you could buy and I still love them. I know I'm kind of in the minority, but I think they're offal good.
    As are your puns, I almost flagged you!
     
     =)   ;)
    _____________

    Tin soldiers and Johnson's coming...


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