Name: Anticuchos de corazón — grilled beef-heart skewers
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 210 min
Cuisine: Peruvian cuisine
Ingredients: 800 g trimmed beef heart, raw, membrane and heavy vessels removed, cut into 3-cm pieces; 70 g ají panca paste, unsweetened; 90 ml red wine vinegar, measured; 25 g garlic, finely crushed; 3 g ground cumin, measured; 2 g dried oregano, rubbed; 7 g fine salt, measured; 20 ml neutral oil, for lightly oiling the grill and skewers; 450 g small potatoes, scrubbed, halved if large; 300 g choclo kernels, fresh, from large-kernel corn; 1500 ml water for boiling sides, 900 ml for potatoes and 600 ml for corn

Anticuchos de corazón with vinegar–ají panca marinade and cooked sides

Yield 4 portions

Prep 25 minutes

Cook 65 minutes

Passive 120 minutes

Total 210 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Anticuchos de corazón with vinegar–ají panca marinade and cooked sides

Anticuchos de corazón are beef-heart skewers strongly associated with Peruvian grilling and street-food cooking. The cut is lean and muscular, very different from liver in texture, and it benefits from removing tough exterior membrane before slicing. A marinade based on ají panca, vinegar, garlic and spices gives the recognisable dark-red coating; the grill supplies surface browning rather than replacing the marinating step.

Start with cleaned beef heart from a reputable butcher, trim away visible valves, membrane and thick connective strands, and slice into even pieces. Ají panca is a Peruvian dried-red-chilli paste that adds depth without needing the fierce heat of a hot fresh chilli. The seasoning should coat the meat in the refrigerator; raw marinade is never used as a finishing sauce unless it has been handled by a separately validated process, so none is served here.

There is an important safety distinction between a steak and organ meat. USDA consumer guidance specifies 71 °C for beef heart, higher than the 63 °C plus rest minimum for intact steaks. The centre of a large skewer piece must therefore be measured, even when the outside has grill marks. Cook the potato and choclo before the meat is finished, allowing the skewers to reach the table still hot and the side dishes fully cooked.

Ingredients

Skewers

800 g trimmed beef heart, raw, membrane and heavy vessels removed, cut into 3-cm pieces
70 g ají panca paste, unsweetened
90 ml red wine vinegar, measured
25 g garlic, finely crushed
3 g ground cumin, measured
2 g dried oregano, rubbed
7 g fine salt, measured
20 ml neutral oil, for lightly oiling the grill and skewers

Cooked sides

450 g small potatoes, scrubbed, halved if large
300 g choclo kernels, fresh, from large-kernel corn
1500 ml water for boiling sides, 900 ml for potatoes and 600 ml for corn

Method

Trim and cut the heart.Check the 800 g trimmed heart again and remove any remaining stiff membrane. Cut into roughly even 3-cm pieces with a sharp knife, separating the meat from ready-to-eat food surfaces. Each piece should be clean-edged with no thick white sheath remaining. Treat the heart as raw organ meat and sanitize the board after cutting.
Marinate under refrigeration.Combine 70 g ají panca, 90 ml vinegar, 25 g garlic, 3 g cumin, 2 g oregano and 7 g salt, then toss with the prepared heart in a covered dish. Refrigerate for 120 minutes at 4 °C or below. The pieces should carry an even red coating with no dry patches. Do not leave the meat at room temperature or keep used marinade for serving.
Cook the potatoes.Simmer the 450 g potatoes in 900 ml water in a saucepan for about 25 minutes; drain and cover to keep warm. A small knife should pass into the thickest potato without a hard centre.
Cook the choclo.Bring the remaining 600 ml water to a simmer, add the 300 g choclo kernels and cook for 10 minutes, then drain. The kernels should be plump and tender but not splitting into mush.
Thread and prepare the grill.Thread the drained marinated heart pieces onto metal skewers or pre-soaked wooden skewers, leaving slight space between pieces. Heat a grill to medium-high and brush the cooking bars with the measured 20 ml oil. The skewers should sit in a single even line so the pieces can brown on each face. Discard any marinade that contacted raw heart; use clean plates for cooked skewers.
Grill and check the centres.Grill the skewers for approximately 12 minutes, turning until both sides have charred spots; use a clean probe in the thickest meat piece. Continue until all pieces reach at least 71 °C. The surfaces should carry browned edges and the pieces should remain distinct on the skewer. Beef heart is organ meat and must reach 71 °C internally.
Serve with the cooked sides.Divide the cooked skewers, potatoes and choclo among four warm plates without dipping into the raw marinade. The skewers should be hot at service, with the cooked potatoes and corn still intact. Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly and reheat thoroughly.

Practical

Practical guidance

Even pieces are more useful than packing as much heart as possible onto a skewer. A thick untrimmed connective band will stay chewy even when the meat reaches a safe temperature; ask the butcher to remove the outer membrane if necessary. Wood skewers must be soaked according to their manufacturer’s instructions and kept away from open flames; metal skewers avoid this step. The marinade can be mixed before work, but the meat itself remains covered under refrigeration throughout the two-hour period. Store cooked leftovers at 4 °C or below for up to 3–4 days and reheat them thoroughly to 74 °C. Beef steak is not an exact replacement: it has a different cut, bite and safety endpoint.

Control points

Texture and handlingIf the pieces curl or bite like rubber, heavy membranes remained or the cubes were unequal; trim more precisely next time and cook to the required 71 °C.
Finish and recoveryScorched edges with a centre below 71 °C indicate excessive direct heat; move the skewers to a less intense zone and continue checking with a thermometer.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size1 of 4 main-course portions
Calories455 kcal
Carbohydrate40.2 g
Protein41.7 g
Fat14.1 g
Fibre5.2 g
Sodium905 mg

Allergens and food safety

Beef heart is raw organ meat. USDA guidance calls for at least 71 °C in its centre. Avoid cross-contact with cooked side dishes. Inspect ají panca paste and any packaged seasonings for their declared allergens.

Closing

On the plate: Peruvian grilled anticuchos specifically made from marinated beef heart, typically accompanied by potatoes and choclo.
Control that matters: Beef heart, not an arbitrary beef cut or other organ; measured organ-meat cooking endpoint.