Description[]
Anticuchos
Not a unique meat in itself, this Peruvian specialty dish turns the rather tough beef heart meat into a tender delicacy. Beef heart cleaned well removing all fat, marinated in red wine vinegar, red hot peppers, garlic and a host of other exotic spices for 8 hours, then grilled and skewered into tender Kebabs.
Ingredients[]
- 1 beef heart about 4 pounds
- 3 large clove garlic peeled
- 1½ tbsp coarse salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 3 dry red chile peppers seeded
- 1 dry ancho pepper seeded
- ¾ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup achiote oil
- 2 to 3 slices bacon ( 2 oz)
- 8 x 8" to 10" bamboo skewers
Directions[]
- Trim any fat from the heart and remove veins and membranes.
- Cut into 24 cubes.
- Place in a bowl and set aside.
- With a mortar and pestle pound the garlic and salt to a paste.
- Add the pepper and cumin and continue pounding.
- Place the seeded red chile and ancho peppers in a bowl, add the vinegar, and let soak for about 10 minutes, or until the peppers are soft.
- Place the softened peppers with the vinegar in a blender and puree until liquid.
- Add this mixture to the garlic paste and stir thoroughly.
- Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
- Add the achiote oil and pour the mixture over the cubed meat, stirring to coat all the pieces.
- Let marinate, covered, at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours, or in the refrigerator overnight.
- Thread 3 pieces of the marinated cubes of beef heart on each of the 8 skewers, reserving the marinade, and set aside.
- There are two ways of cooking the beef hearts.
- Both methods require quick searing.