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Deer Heart Delight

I dust my cervid tickers in seasoned flour first and use rosemary instead of thyme, but this is almost identical to my preparation otherwise. Cheers!
 
It has a really good taste but I cannot get over the texture, organs are to spongy for me! I wish I could get past it! Any suggestions?
 
Recurveaholic said:
It has a really good taste but I cannot get over the texture, organs are to spongy for me! I wish I could get past it! Any suggestions?
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Though the heart is an organ, the heart isn’t “organ meat”, it’s considered “muscle meat”. Just like a tough cut of beef, use butter and cut it thinner. Should help.
 
Heart is so under appreciated, I tend to follow the chambers where they meet to get small "steaks" out of it. Salt, pepper, garlic and sear for about 30-45 seconds under med-rare. Better than a backstrap imo
 
I gave tongue a solid try last season. I boiled, peeled, then pan fried them. They were ok. I could see them being good in a taco but what isn’t? It’s a lot of work for little meat. I would stock pile them and do a minimum of 4 at once if I did it again.

The heart is a great piece of meat!
 
Recurveaholic said:
It has a really good taste but I cannot get over the texture, organs are to spongy for me! I wish I could get past it! Any suggestions?
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The first one I ate felt a little weird on texture. After I tasted how good it was though, I got over it real quick. I think there is part that is just mental on the heart since it is red muscle meat.
 
Bama_Xander said:
The first one I ate felt a little weird on texture. After I tasted how good it was though, I got over it real quick. I think there is part that is just mental on the heart since it is red muscle meat.
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I have always been a texture person I like the flavor of just about everything but texture turns me off idk why!!! But I will eat it if I have too!!!!!
 
A couple years ago I was able to get all my buddies plus some guys at my dads work to all start saving me their deer hearts. They all just tossed them anyway. I ended up with 17 at the end of the season. I made a big batch of Boudin out of them. It was super delicious.
 
WOW! That dish looks amazing! Always wanted to try the heart but never knew how to prepare it. Definitely will give your recipe a go. Just thinking of how many I have left out there with the gut pile, ughh what a dumbass!! LOL

I've tried liver, fried it in a skillet with onions like just about everyone does. The texture and flavor wasn't bad but what I didn't care for was the slimy feeling it left in my mouth after swallowing it. My wife's uncle cooked it for us many years ago and I remember it being delicious so I probably didn't prepare it correctly.
 
AnotherJoe said:
A couple years ago I was able to get all my buddies plus some guys at my dads work to all start saving me their deer hearts. They all just tossed them anyway. I ended up with 17 at the end of the season. I made a big batch of Boudin out of them. It was super delicious.
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That is amazing.
 
rutjr said:
I want to try tongue too!

I love the heart. I've only pickled it though. Will have to try Bamas method, sounds great.
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Please share your pickling recipe. I have had it that way a long time ago and it was fabulous!
 
Woofron said:
Please share your pickling recipe. I have had it that way a long time ago and it was fabulous!
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I boil the heart. Slice it in 1/4” slices. I use a mason jar and use apple cider vinegar, minced onions, garlic, salt n pepper to taste. Soak in solution for a week if you can wait that long. Enjoy!!


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rutjr said:
I boil the heart. Slice it in 1/4” slices. I use a mason jar and use apple cider vinegar, minced onions, garlic, salt n pepper to taste. Soak in solution for a week if you can wait that long. Enjoy!!


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Sounds good. I have a couple of questions, how long do you boil it, and do you refrigerate t while pickling?
 
Gave the Op's recipe a try a few weeks ago with a bear heart. My wife and I had it for lunch and she was shocked at how good the meat itself was but I screwed up the deglazing and added too much wine which I think dulled the flavor. I made it again for my kids to try but added more minced garlic and skipped the deglaze altogether. Well let me just say there were six of us standing over the pan battling with forks to get at those last few pieces!
From now on I'm cooking my stash of deer hearts when no one is home...
 
Stump06 said:
I do want to try tongue but its gonna have to be around a campfire on a hunt. Just seems like the only way to do it justice! :grinning:
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You need to boil the tongue first and peel off the tough leathery outer skin or it will be very tough and doesn't absorb flavor nearly as well. But it is a great piece of meat that is very often overlooked and left in the woods.
 
Jgetch said:
I love hearts. I slice in half top to bottom so you end up with two pieces looking something like two duck breasts. And then I do them like the French do duck breasts. Caste iron pan, butter, shallots, garlic. Salt and pepper heart as skillet is warming but make sure not to get skillet to hot. Melt butter and add shallots and garlics. There should be no popping or splattering here. If there is then you pan is to hot. We’re looking for a low heat. Place heat in cut side down. Again there shouldn’t be any popping of the butter. There should be a very short sizzle and then you should see butter “bubbles” growing along side of the meat very slowly and then popping without sending butter flying. Low heat. Leave on this side for 15 minutes without touching or moving it (I know it seems terribly long) and then flip. Leave on this side for another 15 minutes (are you kidding me that things gonna be way to done). Remove from heat and cover with butter mixture. If you had the heat correct when you slice the heart after 5-10 minutes of resting it’ll be perfectly medium rare to rare but be warm all the way through. Duck breasts are also fantastic this way....
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I am going to have to try this method. I learned the cutting method a while back and that helps a lot with the cooking and looking like a normal piece of meat. I prefer now to cook it like a nice steak (Cast Iron hot sear and the butter baste with herbs and garlic-pic below) than the above recipe. I have also wrapped a heart piece in the deer's own caul fat and that was nice too.

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