Deer Heart Recipes

GRILLED VENISON HEART WITH PEPPERS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Trim the hearts as discussed above. In a large bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, oregano, thyme and black pepper. Massage the marinade into the meat, put everything into a container that can just about hold everything and marinate for as little as 30 minutes, or as much as 2 days.
• When you are ready to cook, get your grill hot. Coat the peppers and onion in the rest of the olive oil and salt well.
• Grill everything on high heat. Put the hearts and veggies on the grill -- skin side down for the peppers -- and leave them alone with the grill cover open for 8 minutes. Flip everything and grill, uncovered, for 5 more minutes.
• Check the peppers and onions, and when they are nicely cooked with a little char, remove and put in foil to steam. Remove any blackened skin from the peppers.
• If the hearts are not cooked through yet, cover the grill and cook for 2 to 5 more minutes. If you are using a thermometer, you want to get the meat off the grill when it is 130°F in the center. You can also use the finger test for doneness. Tent the hearts loosely with foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with black pepper and good sea salt at the table.

STUFFED HEART

Steps:

• Wash heart and trim fat, sprinkle inside with salt and pepper.
• Fry bacon until almost crispy, add bread crumbs, celery, onion, egg, 1/2 tsp salt, thyms, sage and 1/2 tsp pepper.
• Stuff heart and tie with cooking string or secure with skewers.
• Place in small roasting pan, cover with broth and add bay leaf.
• Cover and bake at 325 for 2 1/2 hours.
• Can be done in a crock pot for 9 hours on low.

HOW TO COOK VENISON HEART

Steps:

• Wash the heart and remove any blood clots. One way that works extremely well to is to hold the heart under running water while squeezing it. The squeezes will perform the heart's original function, but this time to remove any blood and gunk that may be in it.
• Slice the meat into 1" slices. From there you can cook the slices whole, or cut them into smaller chunks or dices. If you still aren't sure about eating heart, it may help to dice it so it looks less like heart, and more like normal, yummy venison.
• Trim off any bits of fat. You want the meat to look as nice as you can get it. If you find any rough fibers near the larger end of the heart, cut those out.
• Saute the chopped onion, a few tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Add the salt and pepper, and any other seasonings, into the mass of yummy saute.
• Add the meat into the saucepan, searing each side to a nice brown shade.
• Cook the meat on medium-low until it's almost done, then add 1/4 cup of water to the pan. The water will not only make the hand-dish much easier, but also extract the flavor out of the pan and back into the meat.
• Fully cook the venison heart. There shouldn't be any blood, and there shouldn't be very much reddish shade, either. Some tint of pink will remain even when fully cooked.
• Serve! Serve by itself or with a side of mashed potatoes or potato fries. For extra fanciness, garnish with freshly chopped chives.

DEER HEART

Steps:

• 1. Clean the heart under cold running water until the water runs clear.
• 2. Cut the heart in half lengthwise so that you have two squares. Trim off the outer white membrane.
• 3. Cut the squares into strips and the strips into small squares.
• 4. Marinate the squares in the balsamic, oil, rosemary, and salt and pepper, covered in plastic for at least an hour.
• 5. Heat a pan over high heat with a bit of oil and quick sear the heart squares, about 1 minute on each side. You want them to be no more than medium rare. Serve immediately!
• My Note: I always boil the heart, for 45 minutes or so, then refrigerate, slice up for sandwhich, with onions of course.
• ---------.
• Stuffed Deer Heart.
• Ingredients:.
• 1Deer heart.
• 1 cup Fine bread crumbs.
• 1 Stock of celery, chopped.
• 1/2 teaspoons Salt.
• 4 Tablespoons Melted butter.
• 1 Small onion, chopped (vidalia onion).
• 1/2 teaspoon Sage.
• 1/4 teaspoon Pepper.
• Flour, salt and pepper for dredging.
• Instructions:.
• 1. heart with a damp cloth, soak overnight in salted water, and then drain.
• 2. Mix stuffing ingredients in order given.
• 3. Drain the heart, hollow out the top and stuff with the sage dressing, and then close the opening.
• 4. Dredge heart in flour, salt and pepper.
• 5. Dot with butter or dripping.
• 6. Place in a covered roaster and bake in a 325*F. oven until done, about 3 hours, basting occasionally.
• Tip's: My mother would boil the heart for a while and then bake it with sage dressing. Delicious! I did so want her recipe for sage dressing! Do you or tou have one ?.
• GRPA- Your Mom and My Mom's did the same Sage Dressing ? But a Deer Heart maybe? From Laura November 14, 1965
• Will, When I think of dressing or stuffing, whatever you choose to call it, this is the recipe I do. It's the only recipe I know. This is what I remember having every year at Thanksgiving as long as I can remember. It is simple, easy, and everyone in our family loves it. It's best served with gravy drizzled on it. I usually make it with whatever is the cheapest sandwich bread I can find at the store. However, this time I had some leftover Italian bread that needed to be used up, so I used that and made a half recipe for my family. It can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge. Your dressing should look a little more squished and condensed than my picture. I made the mistake of cooking it in a covered casserole dish. It turned out too dry on the top layer.
• Ingredients:.
• 2 loaves of sandwich bread (I usually just get the cheapest loaf, which is usually store brand).
• 4 stalks of celery, finely diced.
• 2 medium onions, finely diced.
• 4 tablespoons butter.
• 2 teaspoons ground sage.
• Instructions:.
• 1. Slice loaves of bread into small cubes. Place in a large pot or on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sage and toss bread. You want each piece of bread to get a little sprinkling of sage. Repeat this as necessary. I'd guess I use at least 2 tsp, maybe even a tablespoon.
• 2. Place diced celery in a pan with just enough water to cover and steam until tender. Add celery along with the water to the bread and toss.
• 3. Then saute onion in the butter until translucent. Toss in with bread. At this point, feel the bread. You want it to just be slightly moist and sticky. If needed add more water to get bread to that consistency.
• 4. Place bread mixture in a pocket made of foil (wrapped tight), or they have those foil packs you can buy now. It is best to cook it in foil. However, you can also use a large roasting bag placed on a cookie sheet too to cook it inches Don't cook in a casserole dish, the dressing won't all remain moist, you'll get some that is crunchy. I learned that his time! Bake at 350*F. for 30 minutes. (I've done it at 325*F. along with the turkey for 40 minutes) This can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge.
• Don't make the mistake I did, using the same amount of ground sage as this recipes calls for in dried sage.

DEER HEART

Steps:

• Soak heart in salted water in back hall for 24 hours, changing water 3 times. After 3rd change fill with milk. Dad will think this is a waste of milk and may cause a need to leave camp to go to the store. Make sure pot is covered at all times in back hall or a mouse may fall in. Rinse heart well, cut meat away from heart. Slice very thin like shaved steak. Pat dry on paper towel, season. Heat large black pan. Brown onion slices in part of the butter and oil. Remove. Quick fry meat in remainder of oil and butter. Return onions to pan. Can serve like steak and cheese sandwich with melted cheese.