How about a food that is low in sodium, as well as a good source of folate, pantothenic acid, phosphorus and copper, and a very good source of protein, riboflavin, vitamin B12, iron and zinc? Well, nothing is perfect, it has also a high cholesterol content. But, to compensate that, besides being very nutritious it’s also dam tasty.
Chicken hearts, that’s what I’m talking about. In Brazil, they are a mandatory presence in a BBQ, as appetizers, specially in the southern areas of the country.
Chicken hearts
Last Sunday I took 1,0 kg (around 2,0 pounds) of chicken hearts, trimmed the excess fat (remember, it’s high in cholesterol), seasoned with salt and pepper, and placed them in a special device I received as a gift from my friend Renan. It’s like a cylindric grill that you fill with chicken hearts and place over the fire turning around now and then to get an even cooking.
Cylindric grill for chicken hearts (Posing for pictures out of the fire. Yes, that on the back are pork ribs)
After around 45-60 min they are ready. In Brazil we usually serve them with manioc flour and an ice cold beer (even though I prefer a red wine).
Grilled chicken hearts with manioc flour
Ok, let’s assume you don’t have such a cylindric grill, nor a Brazilian style BBQ pit, but you still would like to try some chicken hearts (and I recommend you to do that). Then maybe you can take a look at the 1956 grilled chicken heart recipe from the father of American gastronomy, James Beard (yes, some of us have heard of him in Brazil).
Borderless Cooking 
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