This coming Valentine’s we are partnering with Trevor Beattie’s Charitable Foundation to produce an Alternative Valentine’s Banquet at Space No.9, Shoreditch – with all event proceeds helping tackle food poverty.
Here is one of our more adventurous dishes for the evening, ox heart kebabs. This recipe is inspired by Peruvian flavours and lots of chilli. They are absolutely delicious, not gamey as you might expect but lean and satisfyingly rich.
Ingredients - serves 4 500g ox/lamb heart, trimmed carefully of all ventricles and fat (ask your butcher) 1 tbsp cumin 6 cloves garlic, peeled 1 tsp dried oregano or herb de Provence 2 large red or yellow chillies, chopped 1 tbsp tomato puree 1 tsp Chipotle Tabasco Sauce (I happened to have a little in the cupboard) 100ml red/white/cider vinegar
Method – Marinade the meat at least 30 minutes before you cook it, although the day before will give it a superior flavour
Cut the heart into large strips, then cut into pieces about one centimetre thick.
To make the marinade, pound the ingredients in a pestle and mortar. Start by grinding the dry ingredients: cumin, salt, & oregano. When ground, add the chilli and garlic and grind to a paste then stir in the tomato puree, Tabasco and vinegar. Cover the meat in the marinade and mix thoroughly. Leave for as long as possible.
Cook the kebabs on a searing hot griddle or BBQ for one minute on each side. Serve pink so they are tender with boiled potatoes, sliced and fried in the leftover marinade with fresh coriander if you have some.
Here is a sample menu for the evening:
An Alternative Valentines Banquet
Due to the sheer volume of food surplus we are able to pick the highest quality ingredients. As we are sourcing surplus food the menu is subject to change.
Smoked salmon pâté – made with trimmings from Hansen-Lydersen
Starter
Deep fried rock oyster with aioli
Representing the most sustainable seafood from Falmouth Bay
Main course
Game ragu
Slowly braised wild game with saffron
Ox heart kebabs, salsa verde and flat bread with zatar
Ox hearts from Ginger Pig marinated in chipotle with organic herbs and zatar from Palestine
or
Chestnut ragu with saffron
Organic glut vegetables with foraged British chestnuts
Served with
Celeriac boulangere,
Carrots roasted with Douglas fir,
and Braised leeks
Dessert
Chocolate nemesis cake with pomegranates and Chantilly cream