Peruvian Anticucho Smoked Beef Heart Skewers
Beef heart is marinated in a traditional Peruvian anticucho paste of ají panca chili, cumin, and vinegar, then hot-smoked to perfection. The tangy, spiced marinade penetrates deeply into the dense meat, creating a complex smoky crust. Perfect sliced from the smoker or served as skewers.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Preparation
30 minutesThoroughly clean the beef heart by removing all fat, tendons, and valves, then cut into even 2-3 cm thick slices. Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir until a smooth, homogeneous paste forms.
Marinating
12-24 hoursMassage the anticucho paste evenly into the heart slices, place in a zip-lock bag and seal airtight. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, preferably 24 hours. Turn occasionally.
Smoking
4-5 hoursPreheat smoker to 120-135 °C using mesquite and oak wood. Place heart skewers inside and smoke undisturbed for 2 hours. Afterwards, brush with remaining marinade every 45 minutes until an internal temperature of 72-74 °C is reached.
Resting and Serving
10 minutesRemove skewers from the smoker and rest loosely covered with foil for 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Traditionally served with Peruvian salsa criolla and boiled potatoes.
Pro Tip
Ají Panca paste is available in Latin American grocery stores – never substitute with regular paprika powder as the fruity depth is lost. Brush remaining marinade onto the skewers twice during smoking as a glaze.
Save this recipe to your smoking journal?
With Curination you can scale recipes, track projects, document by voice and browse over 1,269 recipes.