“You know, they’re using pig hearts to replace valves in human hearts?” My father wasn’t exactly endorsing my selection at SPQR – pork heart dusted with cumin and black pepper – but that wasn’t going to stop me. After all, this was meat that came from a pig. The dish was also developed by Nate Appleman, the restaurant’s incredibly talented chef who’s supremely committed to pork products and makes sure no hog morsel goes to waste.

Apparently pork heart is inexpensive, since the seared chunks were heaped on plate. The slightly gamy squares were clearly at their best when sourced from the heart’s core. The outer nuggets were a little chewier and seemed to sport a thin layer of protective heart wall. Okay, this is beginning to sound like an anatomy lesson. Rest assured that everybody at the table took a bite, and nobody was disappointed. If you spot pork heart on the menu at a restaurant you trust, don’t be shy.

Dose of Vitamin P is a new feature that spotlights my favorite pork dish from the previous week.