BEEF HEART COOKIES
½ lb (225 g) beef heart or lean ground beef
2 cups (500 mL) whole wheat flour
1 cup (250 mL) cornmeal
¾ cup (175 mL) beef stock, tomato juice or water
¼ cup (60 mL) canola or olive oil, plus extra for cooking
1 large egg
Who ever said the love of your life had to be human? Dogs are just as worthy of being on the receiving end of a batch of heart-shaped treats this Valentine’s Day, and since you’re making them from scratch, why not put some real heart into them? Beef heart is inexpensive and easy to find in the meat section of the grocery store; it’s rich, intensely flavoured and low in fat, making it an excellent choice for dogs. Organ meats are also high in B vitamins, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, phosphorus, iron and zinc. And dogs, unlike humans, appreciate the idea of a little organ meat in their cookies. (We might think they’re offal.)
Yield: Makes about 24 cookies (depending on their size). Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator, or freeze
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cut the beef heart into chunks and transfer to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Heat a drizzle of oil in a skillet set over medium heat; cook the beef heart (or ground beef) until no traces of pink remain. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour and cornmeal. Stir in the beef mixture. In a small bowl, whisk together the beef stock, oil and egg. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until well blended.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough about half an inch thick and cut into heart shapes with a cookie cutter or 1-x-2-inch strips with a knife. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, until springy to the touch.
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March 2010
