Almost every cuisine in the world offers recipes with organ meats. Beef and chicken kidneys, liver, heart, brain, tongue are extremely rich in vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, American’s view organ meat as a byproduct. Organ meats are paid little or no attention at all at popular restaurants. Sadly, the most nutritional part of the animal is thrown away. Did you know that even ancient physicians believed that for treatment of a particular organ, you should eat similar organs of animals. For a healthy heart – beef heart and chicken hearts; for the health of the liver – chicken, or beef livers, and etc. Now days, such beliefs are sceptically perceived by many, which is very unfortunate. Our organs and organs of different animals have similarities when it comes to the biochemical composition and functional purpose. And there is nothing surprising in the fact that beef liver contains substances that are healthy for the human liver. Beef and chicken hearts are not the exception. They are good for your heart and your body, and certainly more nutritious than muscle meat.
As you know, the heart is a muscle, and perhaps the most important in the body. Like all muscles, it is very rich in protein (up to twenty percent of the weight), which is well absorbed by our bodies. Additionally, chicken hearts contain many useful elements, which include potassium, calcium, magnesium, and also vitamins B1 and B2.
Little known facts about organ meats
Beef and Chicken Hearts Contain:
Vitamins
Chicken hearts are a great source of riboflavin, folate, vitamin B12 and pantothenic acid. Group B vitamins help with frequent fatigue, stress, chronic fatigue syndrome, problems with the heart and blood vessels etc. For example, A boiled or stewed heart contains 10 times more vitamin B12 than muscle meat. Vitamin B-12 is important for the proper functioning of several enzymes that turn fat into energy. These chemical reactions help cells fight carcinogens.
Amino acids
Amino acids contained in beef heart help improve metabolism and even help produce elastin and collagen which prevent aging of the skin.
Minerals
Chicken hearts are a good source of zinc, selenium and iron which help build muscles. They provide 1 to 4 percent of the daily value of copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium.
Beef and chicken hearts are an excellent source of CoQ10 – a very important nutrient responsible for proper cell and cardiac functioning.
It is important to remember that grass fed animals contain even higher levels of vitamins and minerals. To prepare beef or chicken hearts, rinse them in water first and then either boil or cook them slowly to medium rare. Because beef hearts are tough and very lean, you need to cook them for even longer time at low temperature.
Odd Bits: How to Cook the Rest of the Animal
