Take an ox heart and season it inside with salt and pepper, and fill it quite full of herb stuffing*; fasten it up with a needle and string, rub the heart over well with oil or margarine and fold it up in greaseproof paper; tie it up, put heart in a baking tin in the oven, keeping it well basted, then remove the paper and dish upon a hot dish, and serve round it a good brown sauce or tomato sauce or brown caper sauce, and garnish with olive potatoes.
This should be served while hot.
*herb stuffing: I cup breadcrumbs, mixed with dry or fresh herbs of your choice and salt and pepper, to which you add boiling water and allow to soak for 20-30 minutes. Sage is particularly good with ox heart. You could, of course, use stuffing from a package.
An alternative recipe:
1 large beef heart (about 3 pounds, split lengthwise)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cups bread or cracker crumbs (seasoned, optional)
1/4 pound pork sausage
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sage
1 tablespoon minced parsley
2 cups water
1 teaspoon beef base
Wash heart. Trim fat and remove arteries and soak in cold salted water for half hour. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Brush outside with 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle inside cavity and outside with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Combine bread crumbs, sausage, sage and parsley together. Fill inside cavity with dressing. Skewer or tie together. Dredge with flour and brown in remaining oil, turning to brown well. Remove from pan and place in a roasting pan or crock-pot.
Make a thin gravy by adding the remaining flour (from dredging) to drippings in pan. Add the water and beef base. Pour gravy over the beef heart.
Bake in slow oven at 250*F (120*C) for eight hours or in crock-pot cook on HIGH for 1 hour and then on LOW for 7 to 9 hours.
Makes 4 servings.