Cooking Heart
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: JohnMC
18-Nov-18
I am going to cook a deer heart tonight. First time. But not sure how. Share some recipes you like. Any bad idea or pit falls. Currently it is soaking in water with a little salt. I did shoot it right through the heart if that matters cooking.
From: greg simon
18-Nov-18
Great shot. Won't matter at all, just the first cut.
Slice it into strips, remove anything white, dredge in seasoned flour and fry in butter to medium rare.
Enjoy while still hot with cold beverage of your choice!
From: Beendare
18-Nov-18
Growing up in the lower middle class....we ate beef heart a lot....it was cheap. I acquired a taste for it. Very rich meat, filling....I like the texture...but its a bit chewy for some.
Elk heart is one of my favorites. We are usually in the woods...so no fancy recipes; a little Lowrys seating salt, cut thin and fried in olive oil- yum. Just don't cook it to death. If you have garlic, its even better.
From: brooktrout59
18-Nov-18
Tried this it was awesome.
From: t-roy
18-Nov-18
Probably are lots better ways to fix it, but a very simple way is just boil it at a low boil for 45 minutes, slice it and make sandwiches out of it.
From: JohnMC
18-Nov-18
Does age of deer matter? Does a young heart taste better/less tuff than a old deer? Guess a 4 1/2 year old buck. I hope the cardiologist has not placed any stents.
From: brooktrout59
18-Nov-18
That article instructs you how to cut and prepare. Mine too was heart shot, large Doe.Cooked in grill basket with peppers and onions- really good.
From: BowhuntKS
18-Nov-18
I Crock-Pot overnight with whatever seasonings you like. Just salt and pepper is adequate. Very mild and super tender. Remove all the arteries and fat after cooking, it will pull away easily. Slice for sandwiches. I just add mayo and dill pickles. Delicious..
From: buckhammer
18-Nov-18
Slice it about 1/2 inch or a little more for thickness.. roll it in flour....fry it in butter to medium rare/medium. drizzle honey over each side as it cooks. You will not be disappointed.
From: Newhunter1
18-Nov-18
I love heart. I cut out all the white stuff...ventricles, and the veins or tendons inside the heart that connect the walls of the heart. on the outside of the heart I cut off the opaque meat. I only leave the red meat. Then I cut the heart length wise down the center. Quarter it and then thin slices length wise. Flour, salt, pepper and some garlic powder. Mix the dry ingredients together and dredge the meat through the dry ingredients. Then take an egg...and dredge the covered meat though the egg. Then back into the dry ingredients for double cover. Next Throw onions in a pot with olive oil and a dollop of butter. Fry the onions till tender and then throw in the covered meat. Fry until done...doesn't take but 45-60 seconds. Enjoy with some rice or pasta...
From: Brian M.
18-Nov-18
I just slice it, throw into the fry pan and cook medium rare, just like any steak. S&P to taste. Eggs, toast, coffee...good to go.
From: Bowfreak
18-Nov-18
I have acquired a taste for it. My favorite way is to marinate it in your favorite marinade and then fry it to medium-medium rare.
From: Ironbow-cell
18-Nov-18
My 4 girls love it diced and fried in butter and Worcestire sauce. Wouldn't trade a Snickers for it.
From: TrapperKayak
19-Nov-18
Crockpot overnight, but remove all the fat and gristle first. One deer heart is barely worth the energy of an overnight cook(It tastes great but shrinks), but two or three, or an elk or moose heart is way better volume-wise. The thin layer of mayo and pepper on a heart sandwich is a great thing to pack on a hunt. Never had it with dill pickles though.
From: APauls
19-Nov-18
I know guys on here all say medium rare, or on the rare side but I'm the opposite. Thin strips seasoned and in flour and then I fry it, the crispier the better. The amazing thing about heart for me is it seems like you can't overcook it. No matter how crispy you fry it the inside is always the same. My favourite part of a steak is the seasoned outside crispy parts, so that is why I like heart. I can hammer it like crazy on the pan and it just never toughens on the inside.
From: elk yinzer
19-Nov-18
I like it braised in gravy over some mashed taters. I am a rare/med rare guy with a lot of muscle cuts but just don't care for heart cooked that way.
From: Ollie
19-Nov-18
Cut into slices, marinate, and grill on your propane or charcoal smoker. Best to cook about medium in temperature...any more and the heart will dry out and be chewy.
From: Mad_Angler
19-Nov-18
We ate this year's while butchering the rest of the deer. We just sliced into steaks and put it on the grill like a normal steak. It was delicious...
From: Mad_Angler
19-Nov-18
We ate this year's while butchering the rest of the deer. We just sliced into steaks and put it on the grill like a normal steak. It was delicious...
From: Waterfowler
19-Nov-18
I pickle mine. I have 3 pickled in the fridge right now, great midnight snack.
From: Duke
19-Nov-18
Slice thin, season with pepper, garlic salt, and onion powder. Hit grill at about 800 degrees for each side for 2.5 minutes each side. Enjoy!
Several other good ways as previously mentioned.
From: Zbone
20-Nov-18
Man, you guys made me dig out a heart and now thawing... Never thought about crock potting one, gonna give it a try...
Waterfowler - How do you pickle them?
From: TrapperKayak
20-Nov-18
Lungs, oh boy!!!
From: Waterfowler
20-Nov-18
Zbone simmer in a pot of water for around 45 min. Slice thin removing all the fat and ventricles. 2 quarts apple cider vinegar, 2 cups of granulated sugar, a tablespoon of pickling spice and red pepper to taste. Bring to a boil , then simmer 10 min . Add sugar if you want it sweeter. Add the heart to the solution and refrigerate for a few days. Eat at your leisure.
From: JohnMC
20-Nov-18
So we ended up cooking some on a griddle with a little salt and pepper and cooking to rare/med rare. Then the other half rolled in flour with a few seasonings and fried in butter in a skillet probably closer to med than med rare. I preferred it the second way. Both were good. While tender the texture was different. Probably will save the next one.
Thanks for the ideas!
From: x-man
20-Nov-18
We have only ever boiled it. That goes on the stove before we start butchering. It doesn't last very long. As soon as it cools enough to handle, we slice it and eat it as finger-food with a little mustard. The heart is the only part of the deer that doesn't get frozen.
From: Nick Muche
20-Nov-18
"Vietcong". Lol....don't call them that to their face. My goodness.
From: Zbone
20-Nov-18
Waterfowler - Thanks for sharing...
From: BoggsBowhunts
20-Nov-18
Ate one last night. Butterflied it and cleaned out all the stringy vents, as well as extra arteries/fat that will be towards the top of the heart. Grilled it as hot as my grill would go (425ish) for 2.5-3 minutes per side. Removed it from the grill and cut it into .25” strips. A little fleshy, but phenomenal flavor. That was my first on, but I will be keeping all of them from now on.
From: Zbone
20-Nov-18
Dirk Diggler - Got it is the crock right now...
From: Zbone
20-Nov-18
Waterfowler and Dirk Diggler... It's pretty good, eating it with Saltine Crackers... Next batch I make someday, won't use sugar though... Had a receipt for pickled tongue very similar to Waterfowler's without sugar...
Thanks again for sharing...
From: Zbone
21-Nov-18
I'll be the only one eating it... Leftovers in the fridge now, it was a huge whitetail heart...
From: Steve H.
21-Nov-18
Small cubes, bacon grease, cast iron, lightly salted, fork straight from skillet to mouth.
From: Pfranchise
21-Nov-18
Salt & pepper and grill it medium rare.
From: greg simon
21-Nov-18
There you go John! Making my grandma proud.
From: MarkU
21-Nov-18
H, is your house in WY built, or are you going to move a single wide on the lot and put a blue tarp and tires on the roof to counteract the wind???
I cooked two deer hearts the other day. First I caramelized a couple of onions, put them aside and cut the hearts into finger steak size pieces. Dipped in flour, salt and pepper, cooked for a few minutes in butter on each side, returned the onions to the pan and ate. About like eating your favorite candy.
From: ELKMAN
22-Nov-18
A little salt and pepper and light coat of flour and some HOT olive oil and garlic for just a few minutes a side and your set. By far the best meat on the animal.
From: N8tureBoy
22-Nov-18
The heart and pepper recipe by Hank Shaw at the top of the thread is awesome. Very easy. Just takes some advanced planning for marinade
From: Zbone
22-Nov-18
Waterfowler and Dirk Diggler - Dang that pickled heart is getting good... Had a serving today for Thanksgiving, yum.... Seems the longer it marinates, the better...
From: kota-man
09-Dec-18
Deer Heart with Buttermilk Gravy
Deer Heart with Buttermilk Gravy
I tried a new deer heart recipe for “breakfast” this morning:
I’ll put up a link to the Realtree Recipe...
From: kota-man
09-Dec-18
kota-man's Link
Delicious...
From: Trial153
09-Dec-18
Core it then slice it, salt and peper, a dusting of floor and then into a hot cast iron pan with a spash of oil. A few minutes on each side and pink in the middle. Or core it and then split it in half, then slice into strips. Dredge in salt and peper laced flour, egg bath, re dredge in the flower ....then into a got deep fryer till crispy.
From: t-roy
09-Dec-18
Kota.....Is that recipe keto friendly?!!
Looks like it would worth it for a “cheat” day! Looks delicious.
From: kota-man
09-Dec-18
Maybe not, but I couldn’t resist.., ;). I’m gonna go for a LONG hike to make up for it...
From: JLBSparks
11-Dec-18
Cut into 1/2" cubes, brown them, and make chili.
-Joe
From: dirtclod Az.
11-Dec-18
Brian M perfect.Nice and pink.Thats the way I like it.Cook it any longer it turns to rubber.
