Recipes

Stuffed and Braised Heart (Beef)

Recipe No. 340 from the U.S. Army's WWII cookbook — Meat. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Army TM10-412 · Beef · Meat

Serves 100 servings, 8 ounces.
View source — TM 10-412 Army Recipes (War Department, 1944) ↗

Recipe No. 340 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Meat. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

  • Hearts, beef — 35 pounds
  • Salt — 3 ounces (6 mess kit spoons)
  • Pepper — ¼ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)
  • Onions, chopped — 5 ounces (⅓ No. 56 dipper)
  • Celery, diced — 1 pound (1 No. 56 dipper)

Fat — 1 pound (½ No. 56 dipper)

  • Bread crumbs, soft, coarse — 8 pounds (16 No. 56 dippers)
  • Salt — 3 ounces (6 mess kit spoons)

Pepper — ¼ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)

  • Poultry seasoning (optional) — 1 ounce (2 mess kit spoons)
  • Parsley, finely chopped (optional) — 1 ounce (2 mess kit spoons)
  • Eggs, slightly beaten — 15 eggs (¾ No. 56 dipper)
  • Meat stock, hot — as needed
  • Fat — as needed

Directions

  1. Wash hearts in warm water; remove arteries and veins. Wash again, drain and sprinkle inside with salt and pepper.
  2. Cook onions and celery in fat until brown. Add bread crumbs, remaining salt and pepper, poultry seasoning, and parsley. Remove from heat.
  3. Add beaten egg and a little hot stock to moisten; mix lightly.
  4. Fill hearts with hot stuffing; pack loosely. Tie or sew if necessary.*
  5. Place hearts in a utensil that can be tightly covered. Add fat; cook until brown.
  6. Add small amount of meat stock.
  7. Cover pans. Braise in slow oven (300° F.) 3 to 4 hours or until tender. Add more stock during cooking if necessary.
  8. Remove hearts; slice into ½-inch slices across each heart so stuffing will be in center of slice.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Hearts, beef — 2 lb 12¾ oz Salt — about 1½ tsp Pepper — a pinch Onions, chopped — ⅓ oz Celery, diced — 1¼ oz Fat — 1¼ oz Bread crumbs, soft, coarse — 10¼ oz Salt — about 1½ tsp Pepper — a pinch Poultry seasoning (optional) — about ½ tsp Parsley, finely chopped (optional) — about ½ tsp Eggs, slightly beaten — 1¼ eggs Meat stock, hot — to taste Fat — to taste

Hearts may be rolled in flour if desired. Serve braised hearts with brown gravy (recipe No. 511).

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 340, Meat. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.