Heart n liver

[cumminsbassguy]

Hey guys ,. I recently waxed a whitetail. Saved the heart and liver. But since my grandfather passed, no one can tell me the best way to fry it up. Do you just slice them into little steaks and cookem up in the pan with some onions and what not or do I have to do anything special. Thanks guys and gals

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I've always heard slice thin, fry up with some onions in butter. For the liver you can soak in milk and then bread it in flour.

I personally don't like the texture of the heart so I just grind it unless someone is around that wants it whole, I obviously don't waste it if its intact (even gutless its easy to reach through the ribs and pull it out).

 

[AdamW]

Here you go man.

venison heart – MeatEater

 

[PNWGATOR]

My advice would be jump on Hank Shaw's Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook Web site and see what he's come up with for recipes. I'm sure guys here have proven recipes too, but Hank has some really great stuff for a wide variety of game, fish and fowl plus all of their jiggly bits.

 

[go4thegusto]

I am with Rinella on the heart. Cut away chamber membrane and grill rare just like back strap. Yum. Another great muscle to utilize on these awesome organic critters we chase.

 

[rayporter]

liver is easy just slice and fry in some butter. not a bit like store bought liver.

 

[Desk Jockey]

+1 for Hank Shaw.

+1 for a milk bath on liver.

I did my last heart diced and stir fried into tacos. Delicious.

I used about half a white tail liver making deer Boudain. It is a Cajun sausage with rice and liver. It was really good.

 

[Ironman8]

So here's my story with heart and liver. Tried it for the first time last season with a whitetail.

Heart:
I can honestly say this was the best cut of meat I have ever had off a whitetail. I cut out the chambers and took any membrane off that I could find. Fried it in some olive oil, salt, pepper, a little garlic powder and fresh squeezed lemon. I couldn't believe what I had been missing all these years. Texture was tender as well!

Liver:
Totally different story. I tried taking off membranes but it didn't seem like I could peel it like I did the heart so I just ended up cutting them into strips. Fried them similar to the heart. And while the taste wasn't bad, the texture is what killed it for me. It was just a dense, almost crunchy, texture like I've never experienced before. I've eaten beef liver from the store plenty of times and liked it just fine (texture included), but I'm sure I did something wrong here to make it that bad. Any thoughts how to improve it?

(Also, I cooked both ~3-5 days after the kill, never frozen)

 

[rayporter]

liver should be fresh.

 

[T43]

Don't over cook the liver. I usually cut the liver into strips about the size of large french fries. I cook it with bacon, let the bacon slick up the pan a little to keep the liver from sticking before putting it in, I add onions when I flip the bacon and the liver and when the bacon is done so is the liver and onions.

 

[boom]

i have half a liver left. i froze it.

i cooked the first half with green onions. wife loved it.

i also have the heart frozen. i'll clean it up and make tacos. fresh pico de gallo and it is awesome.

i also brought out the mule deer's tongue. it is way smaller than i anticapated. i dont know what to do with it. i'll prob braise it low/slow in a hatch NM green chili for a chili con carne.

 

[LostArra]

my heart experience (deer and elk) has been good. Cut into strips, seared but med rare in skillet with peppers and onions and put on tacos. Also pickled is also good but a whitetail heart isn't big enough so you need a couple or an elk heart.

trying liver soon

 

[Gr8bawana]

Don't over cook the liver. I usually cut the liver into strips about the size of large french fries. I cook it with bacon, let the bacon slick up the pan a little to keep the liver from sticking before putting it in, I add onions when I flip the bacon and the liver and when the bacon is done so is the liver and onions.

This is how we do it also except I flour the liver if I have some aound. It's quite tasty. The most important thing like T43 said is do not overcook the liver.

 

[gdog]

Tundra Swan liver and heart

 

[Matt Cashell]

Heart is my favorite meat to eat.

I like to cut it into 1 inch cubes, remove all membranes. shake in a bag with flour. Then dip in egg/milk. Then shake in bread crumbs with your choice of spices (salt and pepper will do). Pan fry to golden brown and make sure not to overcook. A little red in the middle is perfect.

Serve alone, or with sautéed onions, or with dips.

YUM. Heart poppers.

 

[Trial153]

I have fired heart from a bunch of different animals and it's never been bad.

 

[airlocksniffer]

Love liver and heart. Rather than milk you can soak liver in some water with lemon juice to draw out some of the stronger flavors. Flour, salt, pepper and fried with a couple of strips of bacon and onions. Good stuff. I usually just fry heart (rolled in flour and spices) and eat it medium rare. Last year I ground up my cow elk heart and used it in a cajun dirty rice. Turned out really good. Haven't moved into tongue and kidneys yet.

 

[mrgreen]

I agree with the 'Original Batman' AdamW. It does stand for West doesn't it? The Meateater Stuffed Venison Heart was awesome. Maybe cut back on the Rye bread a little.

 

[Laelkhunter]

It's been a while since I have had deer liver. I remember cutting it into strips, then trimming the outer membrane (tough greyish skin) away from the pieces. Dip them in lemon juice to calm the taste, then dredge in flour and fry in bacon grease, and smother with onions.

 

[Whisky]

This year I've had side by side a tenderloin and heart from a mulie buck and also a whitetail buck and the heart has been much better both times. Lightly dredge in seasoned flour and fry to rare in a pan of butter and onions. Awesome