Pork heart, a highly favored dish, has become an “icon of culinary” in the culinary culture, and there are many different ways to be creative with this ingredient. Among all the methods of processing pork heart, boiling pork heart is highly appreciated for its delicious taste and mouth-watering fat.
Most people often buy processed pork hearts. However, buying ready-made pork hearts outside the market does not guarantee the origin and may pose a risk of bacterial infection harmful to health.
For these reasons, many women have decided to buy live pork hearts to process them for their family’s enjoyment. So how to boil pork hearts so that the white part is crispy, soft and smooth, and not dry and tough?
How to choose delicious pork hearts
To have a delicious boiled pork heart dish, choosing and buying pork hearts properly is crucial. Take advantage of buying pork hearts at the market in the early morning, when the pigs are just being slaughtered, to ensure the freshness of the pork.
In the pork heart, the head part is considered the best with a thicker and crunchier texture compared to the end part. Prioritize choosing hearts with a full shape, light pink color, and a firm touch.
At the same time, observe the color of the liquid inside the pork heart. The liquid should be milky white in color. Avoid choosing thin hearts with yellowish liquid, as these are usually bitter in taste and have a tough texture.
Preparing the hearts
After finding and buying fresh and delicious pork hearts, you need to undergo some preparation steps to remove impurities and ensure that the hearts are clean, without any unpleasant odor.
First, gently rub the young pork heart with some salt and then gently squeeze to remove the liquid inside the heart. Next, rinse the heart with clean water multiple times to ensure complete removal of the liquid. Remember not to squeeze the heart too hard, as this may make it tough.
If you prefer, you can also cut the pork heart into long sections of about 30-35 cm for easier preparation. Then, place the heart in a bowl and rub gently with vinegar and a little salt to remove the liquid inside. After completing this step, rinse the heart thoroughly. Remember not to squeeze the heart too hard to avoid making it tough.
If you do not like the fat clinging to the pork heart, proceed to remove that part. To eliminate the unpleasant smell of the pork heart, you can continue to put the heart into a bowl, squeeze a lemon, and add a few slices of ginger, then soak for about 15-20 minutes. When finished, rinse the pork heart thoroughly.
Things to note when boiling pork hearts
To make a delicious boiled pork heart dish, start by pouring enough water into a pot to immerse the heart. Then, gently crush lemongrass and ginger and place them in the pot of water. Boil the water until it boils, then add the pork heart to the pot to boil. Use chopsticks to press the heart down into the water. Let the pork heart boil for about 2 minutes.
Prepare a bowl of cool water and add ice cubes to it. Next, squeeze some lemon juice into the water. When the water has been boiling for about 2 minutes, remove the pork heart and immediately soak it in the ice water. Soak for about 1 minute.
Continue to boil the water and add the pork heart for the second round of boiling over high heat for about 1 minute. Then, remove the pork heart and soak it in the ice water. Repeat this process a total of 3 times to ensure that the pork heart is tender and delicious.
When removing the pork heart, remember to soak it in a bowl of ice water with lemon or vinegar. This sudden cooling will make the pork heart crispier.
Soaking the pork heart in lemon/vinegar water will give it a bright white color and a delicious aroma. Make sure the pork heart is completely submerged in water to avoid browning. When the pork heart has cooled, remove it from the water and cut it into bite-sized pieces.