Rachel and I both love hearts of any type, but gizzards are an ingredient where we deviate in taste. I love chewy fried gizzards, Rachel can’t stand them. There are really only a few foods where our preferences are so different, but gizzards are the most glaring of them.

In this case, I'm in the minority. Most people I have served gizzards to don’t care for them. The dense and chewy texture is too much for most people, which is understandable. I personally like gnawing on gristle and bones more than the tender parts of steaks, which puts me on the outside of the norm. 

Gizzards, like most dense proteins, can be made much more tender with a simple braise. A slow and low approach will take a lot of the bite out of these tough organs. Once tender, or tender enough, they have a similar texture to heart- dense and full of flavor. Although they will always have a little more toothiness than a heart.

This gizzard and heart gravy is a crowd pleasing way to serve up these wobbly bits. There’s not much to this recipe, and if you've ever made a gravy before, you’re most of the way there. The basic premise is to braise the gizzards until they are “tender enough”, reduce the liquid, add cream and thicken. This gravy falls somewhere between a white and brown gravy. It’s got a stick-to-your-ribs kind of richness.

We have found that 4-6 hours is enough time to render gizzards tender enough that you don’t struggle chewing through them. Duck gizzards will take less time than larger goose gizzards. I put the hearts right in with the gizzards from the start. They’ll end up more tender than the gizzards, but the contrast is welcome. Sometimes we’ll start braising the giblets in the morning before we leave for a hunt. They’re usually just about right when we get back for lunch.

Everyone has their own preference with gravy thickness. We like ours thick enough that you can get through most of the meal with a fork, but need a spoon for the last bits. Add small amounts of roux until you get to where you want with the thickness. You can always add more.

We almost always serve this gravy with biscuits and a bunch of fresh black pepper. It’s best served hot after a frigid morning chasing ducks.

Giblet Gravy

Prep time: 15 minutes + 4-6 hours inactive

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

~½ lb gizzards and hearts, trimmed

4 tbs butter

6 tbsp flour

1 cup heavy cream

3 cups stock

Method:

Preheat oven to 250F.

Lightly season the giblets with salt and pepper. Brown in a lightly oiled dutch oven or saucepan with a lid over medium high heat. Deglaze pan with stock, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Cover and place in the oven.

Cook for 4-6 hours until the gizzards are fork tender. Drain giblets from dutch oven, reserve liquid. Simmer liquid over medium heat until about half reduced. 

Meanwhile, make a roux with the butter and flour. Add butter to a pan, heat over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly until well incorporated and golden brown in color. Remove the pan from heat.

Finely dice the gizzards and hearts. Add to the reduced stock.

Add cream to the reduced stock, stir and bring to a simmer. Whisk in some roux to the stock and cream, continue to cook over medium heat. Add more roux as needed to get the thickness you want. 

Taste and adjust seasoning. Be sure to add plenty of cracked pepper.