Deer heart victuals.

Anyone else eat their deer hearts? I am thinking about smoking a couple this year. I plan to do this to whole hearts. I plan to brine ahead of time, unless someone can tell me a good reason not too. The heart is all muscle, so not a true organ meat. There is no reason will not work. I am not a newbie to smoking, but this is a new one for me. I mostly smoke fowl, or pork. Sometimes true red meat. I know enough to know that some woods go with some meats, a few go with all. If anyone has tried this, please chime in. Famous Grouse, Randy. You guys around?

Just had another thought, the heart has 4 open chambers. Why not stuff it and then smoke it?

Slice it thin, remove veinous tissue, fry it hot and fast in oil and soy sauce, no more than medium rare. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Our first taste ritual.

I’ve had it boiled in saltwater, sliced thin and seasoned with pepper. It’s an acquired taste. Has a similar taste to roast beef. As Gregg Gunter stated, it’s important to remove the tissue around the actual heart.

robby wrote:

Anyone else eat their deer hearts? I am thinking about smoking a couple this year. I plan to do this to whole hearts. I plan to brine ahead of time, unless someone can tell me a good reason not too. The heart is all muscle, so not a true organ meat. There is no reason will not work. I am not a newbie to smoking, but this is a new one for me. I mostly smoke fowl, or pork. Sometimes true red meat. I know enough to know that some woods go with some meats, a few go with all. If anyone has tried this, please chime in. Famous Grouse, Randy. You guys around?

my brother smokes the heart all the time. According to him you need to slice it before you put it in the brine. The heart is really dense and the brine won’t take the brine unless sliced. I’ve had his and it’s ok.

Pan fry is the way use to do it, don’t do much anymore.

One of the older generation in out deer camp collects the hearts (and livers) and cans the hearts with a pressure cooker. He brings them back the following year and fries the slices. Not bad.

You mean not everyone takes it out and eats it fresh like dances with wolves?!

My whole life has been a lie

Nah… im not wasting that much time on a smoker for that piece. Much easier ways to cook it IMO.

I typically quarter/halve the heart and trim away the veinous lining said above. After all the ventricles-atria are trimmed, I dice and sauté. Mild, delicate flavor. Texture is what turns most away, Id almost call it spongy, although that does the flavor a disservice. If the heart isn’t for you, throw it in the grind pile!

Yes, Yup and Yepper I love heart!

My uncle told me to slice it thin and throw in a hot pan and eat it right then and there. He said it’s really good!

Love the heart! So much so we try to not shoot them in the heart. Slice thin and fry in Butter & Garlic salt. Delicious!!!

I’ve always said. With steak, burger and other cuts on an animal. I’m not eating the guts out of anything. Things I have tried, and I’ve tried a lot. Tonge to nuts. Never cared for any of it. Mostly due to the texture like mentioned. But a buddy of mine is a chef, that loves deer heart and liver. He said for the best results. Clean, cool and eat it as soon as possible. Preferably the day of harvest

I took a different approach to my first time eating venison heart. Minced it up very fine (almost resembling a ground beef) then sauteed with taco seasoning and made quesadillas. Wife loved it, even after I told her it was heart.

I tried it sliced and pan fried myself, didn’t care for the strong iron flavor.

If anything why not save it and throw it in the grind? That’ll make for an extra half pound of meat to start with. I can’t understand wasting anything that is reasonably simple to use.

Slice it thin, marinate in salsa, fry it hot and fast, and make tacos.

I’d say give it a try and let us know how it is. It’s always the first thing I eat when I tag a buck. I just fry it in butter and serve it with caramelized onion. To me all venison cuts that can be grilled should be cooked medium rare or less. I find it to be too gamey tasting if it’s cooked to medium or higher and the deer around here are well fed on corn and soybeans so they’re not very gamey.

I totally agree about cooking medium rare. This really applies to all game in my opinion. Actually, most meat in general. I never minded a bit of red juice running down my chin. lol

Pickled deer heart with onions did that a time or 2. When i was a kid grandma made cows lung soup! Now that’s something you will never forget ! Not in a good way LOL

Don Meier wrote:

Pickled deer heart with onions did that a time or 2. When i was a kid grandma made cows lung soup! Now that’s something you will never forget ! Not in a good way LOL

back in the day when we made our own blood and liver sausage, that was one ingredient.

KPE mentioned grinding it up……….never thought of that not thinking thats a bad idea.

I can’t say I’ve ever tried one smoked. I think it would be very good, should be somewhat like smoked duck breast, and that can be very good. For way’s I’ve tried, it’s a tossup for me between sliced and pan fried in butter, or oven roasted whole with a sweet glaze. I actually think I prefer pan fried. I think the only so called problem you may encounter with smoked, is that it wont get that nice crispy outside like pan fried. Of course you can always quickly fry the smoked heart too.

Yeah, I’d almost want to cold smoke it for a while and then fry it. Otherwise I would think it would cook through in the smoker and be tough. Love the heart though and love the creative thinking! Let us know how it turns out.

Deuces wrote:

You mean not everyone takes it out and eats it fresh like dances with wolves?!

My whole life has been a lie

That is what we do with the liver and testicles.

Appreciate all of your input. Be safe!