Heart of the matter

MEAT

Think of what’s often at the center of a sandwich or the main part of a butcher’s display—not the packaging or the sides.

"Heart of the matter" plays on the double meaning of "heart." Literally, it refers to the core or most important part of something, but here it hints at the word "meat" since the heart is a type of meat (as in animal organs). The clue cleverly uses the phrase to point to the answer by focusing on the physical heart while keeping the wording simple and misleading. It’s a straightforward pun where "heart" represents both the figurative center and the literal edible kind.