Slow Cooker Beef Heart Stew

ingredients

3 pounds beef heart
6 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt
black pepper
oil
3/4 cup dry red wine, or less
1 1/2 cup water
2 medium onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 carrots, clean, sliced
2 large potatoes, large cubes
1 medium turnip, cubed
1 package lima beans, frozen
3 beef bouillon cubes
OR
2 teaspoons beef base
1 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
Dijon mustard
black pepper
Tabasco sauce

directions

Insert knife in cavity of heart and cut into two halves. Cut off internal cords and loose tissue. Remove fat and large blood vessels. Cut heart muscle into 3/4" cubes. 

If heart seems to be tough, drop cubes into large Ziploc bag and add 2 tb vinegar and 1 tb salt, expel most of air, seal bag and place in refrigerator for two hours. 

Rinse several times with cold water, drain and dry cubes. Add flour, salt, pepper and cumin to a plastic bag and drop in meat cubes. Shake vigorously to coat meat. Shake off excess flour and saute meat in moderately hot skillet. Do not crowd meat or you will end up boiling it. 

Place browned pieces in slow cooker. Add wine to warm skillet to deglaze, add to slow cooker. Add water. Saute onions and celery and add to slow cooker. Add carrots, potatoes, turnip, beans, beef base, coffee granules, mustard and Tabasco to slow cooker. 

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or 6 hours on low. Stir with spatula several times while cooking. If needed, thicken liquid with beurre manie.