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Peru, Americas

Anticuchos de Corazón

Peru's favourite street skewers: beef heart marinated in ají panca, vinegar, garlic and cumin, seared hot and served with potato and corn.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time45 min
Marinating+ 3 h
DifficultyMedium
About servingsBeef heart is a lean muscle, and when it is fresh and well chilled it is safe served slightly pink (63 °C in the centre). Buy it from a butcher you trust and use it within a day or two.

Method

  1. If you use bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes so they don't burn. Rinse the beef heart, then use a sharp knife to trim away all the fat, the tough white sinew and the thin outer membrane. Cut the clean meat into pieces about 4 × 3 cm and 1 cm thick; even pieces cook evenly.

    Add in this stepBeef heart 300 gSkewers (bamboo or metal) 4

  2. In a bowl, mix the ají panca paste, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and half the oil into a smooth, dark-red marinade. Add the heart, turn until every piece is coated, cover and refrigerate for . Up to 6 hours is fine; much longer and the vinegar makes the meat mushy.

    Add in this stepAjí panca paste (Peruvian red chilli paste) 2 tbspRed wine vinegar 3 tbspGarlic cloves, crushed 3Ground cumin 1 tspDried oregano 1 tspSalt 1 tspGround black pepper ½ tspVegetable oil 1 tbsp

  3. Meanwhile, put the unpeeled potatoes in a 18 cm pot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil on high heat. Turn the heat down a little and cook for in total, until a knife slides in easily. Add the corn, cut into 5 cm pieces, for the last . Drain, peel the potatoes and cut them into thick slices.

    Add in this stepMedium potatoes 2Corn on the cob 1

    high heat

  4. Thread 3 or 4 pieces of heart onto each skewer, piercing them through the middle so they lie flat, and leave 5 cm free as a handle. Stir the rest of the oil into the marinade left in the bowl; this is your basting sauce.

    Add in this stepVegetable oil 1 tbsp

  5. Heat a ridged grill pan or heavy frying pan on high heat for 3 minutes until very hot, then grill the skewers in 1 batch(es) for per batch, turning once halfway and brushing with the basting sauce each time you turn. Stop basting for the last minute so the marinade cooks through. They are ready when the outside is browned with dark edges and the centre is just slightly pink; overcooked heart turns tough.

    high heat

  6. Serve straight off the heat, still on the skewers, with the potato slices and corn alongside. In Peru they come with a spicy ají sauce; any chilli sauce you like works.

Cook's tip

No beef heart? Use beef rump or sirloin cut the same way and grill it a little less. Ají panca paste is sold in Latin American shops and online; as a stand-in, mix tomato paste with a little smoked paprika and chilli flakes.

Cooking it at camp

Marinate the meat at home in a zip bag and carry it in a cooler below 5 °C. Grill over charcoal once the coals are covered in white ash; that's how the street stalls do it. Boil the potatoes and corn at home the day before and just warm them on the grill.