Had this with beef or llama heart quite a bit in Peru, it is almost a national dish and is a nice blend between European and native influences.
Clean heat of all veins and connective tissue. For beef it usually gets cut into strips or cubes, for llama deer and others I prefer to peel it in a spiral slice like if you were peeling an orange and wanted just an inch wide continuous peel.
Here is the general marinade recipe:
3 cloves garlic peeled
1 tablespoon cumin seeds or 1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 cup aji panca paste or 2 canned chipotle peppers with 1 tablespoon of their juices
3 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
About 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus oil for basting
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds beef heart
I usually add some red wine and black pepper, sometimes pisco or tequila. Use this for about 30 minutes to an hour as the vinegar can dry the meat if longer than that. This works well for any red meat and for dove breast too. On dove I add bacon and jalapenos usually. Cook with a hard sear but still bright pink in the center. Over cooked and it will be like your worst memories of school cafeteria liver and onions.
These are served with a Chili Aji amarillo or yellow chili sauce, sometimes just chili's or others with vinegar and spices. Add some of the marinade to more chili panca and paprika for a red sauce,
Usual side dishes are boiled corn and potatoes boiled and then grilled. Have a Pisco sour before and either a good red wine or IPA with this and I bet you will be doing this one again.
