The Dish: Heartechino
Where to Get It: The Partisan, 709 D St. NW; (202) 524-5322; thepartisandc.com
Price: $4
What It Is: A combination of pig heart, rendered skin, and diced lardo. The house-made terrine is spiced with Thai chilies, coriander, mace, and cinnamon.
What It Tastes Like: The autumnal flavors dominate the initial impression, but it’s the whiplash bite of the chilies that lingers longest. Though the charcuterie appears to possess a coarse texture, it smoothly melts in your mouth. For anyone who hasn’t enjoyed heart before, it’s an easy introduction to an imposing-sounding ingredient.
The Story: Chef/charcuterist Nate Anda wanted to riff on cotechino, the classic Italian sausage. Often it’s made with pig offal, though usually not with heart. This way, he has a use for the hearts from dozens of whole hogs he breaks down monthly. “Once you clean them, they’re a wonderful lean protein with great flavor,” he says. To counteract the meat’s minerality, he added a bounty of bold spices to his recipe.
How to Eat It: Pair the coronary creation with one of the pickled components accompanying the charcuterie platter. Place both on top of a warm, puck-like tigelle bread. Then devour it, secretly pretending you’re Magua, the treacherous, heart-eating Huron Indian in Michael Mann’s film adaptation of The Last of the Mohicans.
Photo by Nevin Martell