Success! The nontraditional heart and chocolate Valentines Dinner was a success! If you happened to be seated at our dinner table, and didn’t know you would be eating heart, you probably wouldn’t be any the wiser. Beef heart (at least went slow cooked and smothered with mole sauce) tastes a lot like tender steak, think Filet Mignon. At first I was pretty worried the meat would be chewy. When I stirred the pot partway through the cubes of meat seemed very tough and dense. However, the dish was nothing but delicious. I noticed the heart had a stronger beefy flavor and was firm but super tender. I think my next experiment will include it in a stew or maybe chili.

While the Beef Heart Mole over Polenta (or over Tadpole as WordPress likes to “correct” my spelling…grrr…) might have been one of the tastiest parts of the meal, it certainly wasn’t the most attractively plated. That award easily went to the mixed green salad with warm beer bacon mushroom vinaigrette, topped with a 6 minute egg. Lately I’ve been obsessed with making 6 minute eggs after learning how easy they are to make. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, drop in egg for 6 minutes then plunge the egg into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Peel and enjoy. Easy right? To be completely honest, I could probably do without the whites–it’s that rich creamy yoke I’m after!

Mixed Greens with Warm Beer Bacon Mushroom Vinaigrette and 6 Minute Egg (Adapted from Beer Bitty) Serves 2

• 2 thick slices of bacon, chopped
• 1 c mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp brown ale, divided
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh minced rosemary
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 3 c mixed greens
• 2 large eggs
• 2-3 c ice

Set a 2 quart saucepan of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Add ice to a metal bowl and fill with enough cold water so eggs will be submurged. Once saucepan has reached a constant, rolling boil, add eggs and set timer for 6 minutes. Remove eggs immediately and plunge into ice water. Let sit for 2-3 minutes before CAREFULLY peeling.

Meanwhile, place a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon brown ale and continue cooking until bacon begins to crisp. Add mushrooms, stirring occasionally until tender. Stir in rosemary and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add remaining brown ale and vinegar, cooking until liquid reduces by half. Taste for acidity. Add salt and pepper and additional vinegar if needed.

Divide mixed greens between two plates and top each plate with a 6 minute egg. Dress with bacon mushroom dressing and serve immediately.

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