I Heart Tacos!
Ready to mix up your taco game? Here’s some inspiration to use heart meat instead of your usual meat of choice for your tacos. It’s great for street style tacos in a small corn tortilla, hard shell tacos, or even for a taco salad.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, consuming an animal's organ is believed to nourish the corresponding organ in the body. Thus, eating heart meat is thought to support the health of your own heart by providing essential nutrients that nourish its function; including boosting blood circulation and promoting overall heart health. In TCM, the heart organ system is likened to an “enlightened, benevolent ruler of a kingdom” responsible for the circulation and regulation of the flow of qi and blood, as well as spiritual and mental activities. A healthy heart in TCM is associated with emotional stability, so eating heart meat can also be seen as a way to support mental clarity and emotional balance.
Heart meat is rich in vitamins like B2, B6 and B12, which have a cardio protective effect, iron, zinc, selenium, and Coenzyme Q10, taurine, and omega 3’s, which are important for heart health and help protect against heart disease.
Some consider chicken hearts to be the mildest organ meat, while beef heart has a stronger flavor. Beef heart is generally more nutrient-dense than chicken heart, but both can be beneficial for your health. With that said, I tend to use chicken hearts. It is best to source organic hearts from free roaming chickens that have been processed in a mindful manner. Healthy hearts = healthy hearts!
There are different ways to prepare them, grilled or sauteed for example...you can google your method of choice, as they have different textures and flavors depending on preparation. I tend to saute them and then chop up more like ground meat. This can support easier digestion.
My taco spice mixture is mild chili powder, paprika, cumin, cumin seed, salt and my home grown dried oregano. I don’t measure, I just do to taste. I go heavy on the spices...don’t be shy. Again, you can google recipes for taco spice or find a pre-made mixture.
Then add whatever else you like on your taco and enjoy!