Elk Liver

[journeyman713]

Last night we had a wonderful dinner consisting of Elk liver and onions. It was the second half from my last hunt, and I gotta say, I couldn’t be happier that I packed it out! Again!

As a kid, I hated this stuff. But things have changed.

Just wondering how small of a crowd I’m in doing this. If you don’t, you don’t know what you’re missing.

Next hunt, don’t let it go to waste.
Take along a couple Ziploc gallon size freezer bags. It will fill two of them.

Here’s the simple recipe;

Slice, rinse, soak in milk for a while, it will mellow out the bitterness a bit.

Season with Salt and pepper (lemon pepper). Roll in flour, pat off excess.


Large skillet, medium heat, add olive oil and soften sliced onions a little then add liver till browned once on each side. Cover and let rest for a little while.

Goes well with dry red wine.

 

[AZxp]

Pretty common in AZ. I enjoy it but the heart is the real treat for me

 

[Laramie]

I despise liver- no way I am eating the oil filter of any animal.

I do love the heart though.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Unless they are damaged...heart, liver, and tongue always get packed out.

 

[MTtrout]

Another hard no here! Heart and “sometimes” tongue go in the game bag though. I’ve tried elk liver several ways and the only way I would even consider eating it again is if cooked up fresh in the field but still don’t have high hopes for it. Not opposed to it, just a favor I don’t enjoy

 

[FLATHEAD]

Liver and Heart are my favorites!!!!
Esp. with onions and peppers right out of the garden,
cooked in cast iron.
Oh man!!!

 

[Laramie]

I'm not sure why people are grouping heart and liver together. One is a lean delicious muscle and the other is a blob of gush that has a weird texture and needs to be soaked in milk and cooked in strong onions to remove the nasty taste and smell.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

I keep the heart and liver but only eat them fresh within a few days of the kill. Liver doesn't freeze or keep well in my opinion. I throw in onions and mushrooms as well.

 

[FLATHEAD]

It's true man food. I understand why some people cant handle it.

 

[LostArra]

Cajun dirty rice is a good way to use liver. Most recipes call for chicken or game birds but I've used elk and won over some son in-laws who said they hated liver.
I'll also fry some liver steaks when it's fresh

Dirty Rice Recipe - Cajun Style Dirty Rice | Hank Shaw

A Cajun style dirty rice recipe, which is a rice-and-meat dish made with ground giblets. Dirty rice can be made with any offal.

honest-food.net

If liver sits in the freezer too long it becomes bait. I feel the same way about salmon.

 

[MallardSX2]

Deer liven an onions was a staple of my diet when I was a kid. My grandparents would come over and that’s what we would have.

 

[5MilesBack]

Yep, the elk liver from the first elk of the year was always a mainstay in our camp, but that was a long time ago. We always soaked it in salt water for 24 hours, then sliced it thin and fried with onions in camp. These days I never gut them so not interested in going in after them when I'm done.

 

[UtahJimmy]

I always grab the liver and heart, even when doing gutless. Liver gets dehydrated for the pup, heart gets eaten by the humans.

Hell, just last weekend I helped a buddy pack out a bull and he was going to leave them. So I went over to the carcass (done gutless), made a few slices, and off we went.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

 

[Thebigbaby]

Yep, the elk liver from the first elk of the year was always a mainstay in our camp, but that was a long time ago. We always soaked it in salt water for 24 hours, then sliced it thin and fried with onions in camp. These days I never gut them so not interested in going in after them when I'm done.

This with diced potatoes is good as well.

 

[journeyman713]

Keeping the liver is common than I thought.
Been enjoying the venison heart and inside tenderloins for many years now, usually within a day of the kill, but not the liver until recently. The wife, not really a liver fan at all enjoys the elk liver dinners.

For the guys that leave it, you might want to reconsider, or at least give it away.

 

[doc holiday13]

......................... other is a blob of gush..........

You sure you have the right liver buddy?? I would classify the spleen as a blob of gush.. but not the liver

 

[Laramie]

You sure you have the right liver buddy?? I would classify the spleen as a blob of gush.. but not the liver

Yep... just some bad experiences growing up I guess. I have tried it a few times as an adult. Just not my thing.

 

[doc holiday13]

Yep... just some bad experiences growing up I guess. I have tried it a few times as an adult. Just not my thing.

I will agree that it takes some "getting used to" . I will usually throw about 3-5# liver in with 10-12# meat and seasonings to make liver wurst. Much more palatable in sausage form

 

[Anglo-American]

Heart is my favourite but yeh the organ meats are great.
Full of nutrition to.

 

[JoeDirt]

I would be interested i a few more recipes people like?!

I was thinking about grinding some liver in some sausage with a bunch of spices to hide the taste ...haha