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I always keep the heart and slow cook it in a crock pot. I have and recently did again, save the liver from one and fried and ate some, plan on doing this more too as I've read about the nutritional value of it, though I did hear somewhere choleterol is a concern with liver consumption (???)
What about the spleen? I kept this from one my son recently killed, soaking in some salt water in the fridge now. Not a lot of info, some say it's good for you, some say not to eat it. I did see a few articles where the Minnesota DNR was asking hunters to donate the spleens for a study on insecticides, does this organ keep bad stuff like that? I may just thorw it out. I kinda like the idea of trying new things and not wasting edible parts.
There are warnings here in CT on deer liver. Apparently there are high levels of cadmium in older deer, so the recommdation is to only consume liver from young deer and only a few meals. I eat liver every chance i get, it's damn good.
That's interesting. Both these deer were like two years old, so not old. Did your state give any info on what may have caused this? Industry in the area or something like that?
Not that I know of, however I have done zero research
I wouldn't eat the spleen but then again I bet alot of people that butcher their own eat the lymph nodes without knowing it.
I might try one slice of it this evening. I enjoy the liver, though I probably will only eat it every now and then.
I slice it thin, dip it in scrambled egg, then seasoned bread crumbs, then fry it golden brown. I love slap ya mama seasoning on it, but I put that on just about everything I eat.
I leave guts out for the other critters to enjoy, not for me thanks.
We had Coues Deer heart cooked-up on a hunt in Mexico back in 2020. It was phenomenal. My dad shot a bull elk at our place in NM and told him we should make a go with it, as I had plenty of onions. We were going to waste it anyway and if it sucked, we’d just throw it out and have something else. Needless to say, there weren’t any leftovers.
I think it’s one of those things that if people don’t know what they are eating, they wouldn’t have an issue with it. That being said, liver is in its own category and isn’t for everyone.
I think you're right Blake, I'd have probably never eaten Lengua tacos had I known what it was...and they're pretty tasty
Fried deer heart is one of my daughter’s favorite meals. And now my grandkids!
I’ve been trying to save a deer heart for years as an old timer told me once you eat one, you’ll never waste another, unfortunately I have yet to eat one, I’m pretty good about forgetting about it in the heat of the moment, the one time I saved it I had it in the cavity and it must have fell out while dragging because when I got home it was gone.
Liver is a different story, I like to utilize as much as I can but I’ve had plenty of beef liver and I just can’t get myself to like liver.
I’m with trebarker, coyotes gotta eat too.
Bacon wrapped venison heart & liver chunks
Bacon wrapped venison heart & liver chunks
I made a batch of liver and heart chunks a few weeks ago. I cut up the organ meat from a young doe, seasoned with salt-pepper-garlic and wrapped with thick bacon then dusted with Kosmos Cow Cover. I smoked them until the bacon was cooked. It was very good.
Larry....those look hmm, hmm good. I'd have to add a sliver of jalapeño to those bad boys!
Another with trebarker here….
Crestedbutte, I like the jalapeno idea. I'll have to try it next time. The Kosmos CC has a little kick to it with spicy chili peppers. They also have a hot version, but the regular was good. Eating the younger deer makes a big difference in taste and texture IMO.
"Organ meats are full of nutrients, and are often pound-for-pound more nutritious than muscle meats. With the notable exceptions of tripe (intestines) and brains, most organ meats are good sources of numerous vitamins and minerals, including many of the B-Vitamins, iron, and zinc."
