Beef heart, often overlooked, offers a surprisingly rich and flavorful culinary experience. This seemingly humble ingredient, when prepared correctly, yields a hearty and nutritious porridge that rivals any restaurant dish. Forget the preconceived notions of strong off-flavors; this recipe expertly tackles the potential for "gamey" taste, transforming beef heart into a tender, melt-in-your-mouth delight. We'll guide you through the process of removing any unpleasant odors and unlocking the inherent deliciousness of this underappreciated cut of meat.
This recipe for delicious beef heart porridge is perfect for those seeking a unique and satisfying meal. We'll cover everything from careful initial preparation to achieving the perfect consistency and seasoning. Ready to discover the secrets to a restaurant-quality beef heart porridge? Let's dive into the step-by-step instructions.
Tools Needed
- Pot
- Stove
- Pressure cooker
Ingredients
- Cow stand
- Books
- Honeycomb
- Hairy khanh
- Beef brisket
- Beef balls
- Bean sprouts
- Baby mustard greens
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Green onions
- Ginger
- Basil
- Pennywort
- Salt
- White wine
- Rock sugar: half a tablespoon
- Seasoning: half a tablespoon
- Rice: half a cup
- Cooking oil
- Annatto oil
- Seasoning powder: 1/3 tablespoon for 400g mushrooms
- Fish sauce: half tablespoon
- Water: 4.5 to 5 liters
- Sugar: two tablespoons (for dipping sauce)
- Garlic: two or three cloves, minced (for dipping sauce)
- Pineapple: half (for dipping sauce)
- Thuan Phat fish sauce
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Preparing the Beef and Broth
- Put a pot on the stove, add crushed ginger and salt. Boil and add white wine to remove the smell of beef.
- Add cow stand, honeycomb towel, sugarcane leaves. Blanch the ingredients for about 2 minutes to remove the bad smell.
- In a separate pot, boil water with onions, ginger, and washed beef brisket, honeycomb, sugarcane leaves, and bag leaves.
- Skim off the foam, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour until the beef brisket and other ingredients are soft. Do not boil the beef rump in this water.
- Wash the beef and put it in the pressure cooker with ginger and onions. Add water, half a tablespoon of rock sugar, and half a tablespoon of seasoning. Simmer for 50 minutes until soft.
- Once the beef is soft, scoop it out into a bowl of cold water to prevent it from turning black.
- Discard the beef broth from the pressure cooker; it smells bad. Cut the cooked beef and honeycomb into bite-sized pieces.
Step 2. Making the Porridge Base
- Roast rice until golden brown.
- Add the roasted rice to the porridge pot and simmer until the rice is fully expanded, adding more water as needed.
Step 3. Preparing the Aromatics and Vegetables
- Prepare mushrooms by cutting and soaking in salt water to remove yeast. Slice onions thinly.
- Sauté onions in cooking oil and annatto oil until fragrant and golden. Add washed straw mushrooms and stir-fry until clear. Add seasoning powder, rock sugar, and fish sauce. Stir well and turn off the heat.
Step 4. Combining and Serving
- Add the cooked beef, honeycomb, and other ingredients to the porridge. Season with seasoning powder, rock sugar, and salt.
- Mix fish sauce, sugar, minced garlic, and pineapple.
- Arrange the porridge in a bowl, add vegetables, and garnish with green onions, ginger, and fried onions. Serve hot.
Read more: Vietnamese Fish Rice Porridge (Cháo Cá): A Comforting Bowl
Tips
- Use white wine to remove the bad smell of beef.
- Blanching the beef for a short time helps remove the smell.
- Don't boil the beef rump in the same water as the other ingredients.
- Soak mushrooms in salt water to remove yeast.
- Add plenty of ginger for warmth and flavor.
- Cool cooked beef in cold water to prevent it from turning black.
- Discard the beef broth from the pressure cooker as it has a bad smell.
- Adding vegetables at the end keeps the porridge from getting too hot and enhances the flavor.
Nutrition
- N/A
FAQs
1. How do I get rid of the strong smell from beef heart?
Soaking the beef heart in milk or a mixture of water and vinegar for a few hours before cooking helps neutralize any unpleasant odors. Thorough rinsing and proper cooking methods are also key.
2. What's the secret to making tender beef heart porridge?
Slow cooking is crucial! Simmering the beef heart for a longer period makes it incredibly tender. Using a pressure cooker can also significantly reduce cooking time while maintaining tenderness.
Enjoy your delicious and surprisingly tender beef heart porridge! This recipe proves that with the right techniques, even unconventional ingredients can create a truly satisfying and flavorful meal. Now go forth and impress your friends and family with this unique culinary creation!