The most overlooked cut of meat is the heart. I am amazed when people think it is gross and bad tasting. It is a wonderfully tasty muscle if you treat it the right way. I happened to have a big beef heart that I decided to treat like pastrami, so I brined it for 6 days, smoked it for nearly 4 hours, steamed it for 20 minutes, and finally sliced it thin. These thin slices of the corned and smoked heart were then stacked high on rye, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing to create a one-of-a-kind Reuben.

Print Recipe Corned and Smoked Heart Ingredients 1 beef heart , fat and silver skin trimmed For the Brine 2 quarts water

3/4 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

3 TBSP pickling spice

2 TBSP whole black peppercorns

1 dried chili

1/2 tsp cayenne

2 cloves garlic , smashed

1/2 ounce Instacure #1 (pink salt) Instructions Trim most of the external fat and silverskin from the heart.

Mix all brine ingredients and heat to a simmer. Continue simmering for 10 minutes, then allow the brine to cool.

Place the hearts into the brine. Into the refrigerator for at least five days.

Smoke at 225°F until internal temperature reaches 145°F

Heart after 6 days of corning and 3 hours of smoking

Heart into the steamer

Now it is time to create the Smoked Heart Reuben sandwich…the most amazing tasting sandwich I have created in a minute.

Print Recipe Smoked Heart Reuben Sandwich Prep Time 5 mins Cook Time 15 mins Total Time 20 mins Servings: 2 sandwiches Ingredients For the Sandwiches 1 Corned and Smoked Heart , sliced thin

4 slices rye bread

1/2 cup sauerkraut

1/4 cup Russian dressing (see below)

4 slices Swiss cheese

2 TBSP butter For the Russian dressing 1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 TBSP ketchup

1 TBSP horseradish

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 TBSP sugar

1/4 tsp paprika

kosher salt

black pepper Instructions For the Sandwiches Butter one side of each slice of bread. On the non-butter side spread Russian dressing on each slice. Top with a slice of Swiss cheese, corned and smoked heart, sauerkraut, another slice of Swiss cheese, and finally more Russian dressing. Top with another slice of rye bread.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Place a sandwich in a skillet and cook until golden and cheese is melted, 3 minutes per side. For the Russian dressing In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire, sugar, and paprika until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Corned and Smoked Heart Reuben Sandwich

Verdict: This is better than pastrami for a Reuben