elk/deer heart

idahunter · Oct 12, 2009

A few years ago I was in elk camp with some guys and one of them cut an elk heart really thin and fried it in flour. That had to be one of the best meals we had up there. All I remember is he spent alot of time rinsing and cleaning it, but I dont know in what. If anyone has done this or has any ideas I would like to try it again. Thanks for your help!

rodsroost · Oct 12, 2009

I always let the heart and liver soak in a bowl of salt water for a day.If cooking it in a dutch oven,I cook it in Crisco oil.I cut it in thin strips,dip it egg and milk,roll it in flour,salt and pepper and add some thick sliced onions.(ROD)

Slide · Oct 13, 2009

My mom taught me how to cook the heart and it is my favorite part of a deer or elk or........... Anyway, I wash it really well slice the chambers and get all the blood out and wash it again. Slice it about 1/2" or whatever you like cross ways, so you ahve several rings. Take flour, season all, black pepper a little bit of garlic salt ( basically whatever type of season you like ) mix with the flour. Roll the meat in the flour place in a pan with butter or oil again your choice, personally I like butter. We also slice up an onion and cook it with the heart. Fry until done and enjoy.

Good luck,

Slide

ramtagless · Oct 13, 2009

Yeah - its great. Best (imo) if eaten same day as kill or next day after soaking. As mentioned make sure you drain and clean the chambers very well. Otherwise you have a sloppy congeled mess. I like eating it the night of kill as a celebration.

crimedog · Oct 14, 2009

The best time for heart and liver is preferably in camp just after the kill while it is still warm. We grew up eating like this and it was by far the best meat

sageadvice · Nov 6, 2009

I concur, venison heart is excellent and a favorite dish of mine for many many years. As a young boy, i'd kill a barley buck behind my grandparents ranch house every year on opening morning. I'd get the heart to my Grandmother as soon as possible and by the time my deer was hung, fully dressed, and halved, she'd have the heart fried up and along side some fresh ranch eggs and pancakes for my breakfast. Delicious!!

This year, some 40+ years and many animals later, for the first time i had antelope heart to try. I found it near impossible to tell from Deer heart. Try it if you think you might like it. It's not the most tender parts of a animal but i think you'll enjoy it fresh out of the animal, spiced, floured, and into the oil, butter, grease, or what have you. It's the only part of an animal i actually like somewhat over cooked.

Joey

Hardway · Nov 15, 2009

I take every deer heart I get to my gramps. He is in his late 80's, my grandmother passed a few years back, and Alzheimers is taking its toll, but that deer heart sure brings out the smiles and hunting stories from the good ole days. Only 1 other out of 11 grandkids hunt and my cousin aint that good at it

so I make sure he gets one every year.....If I'm lucky he will share

I prefer it breaded and fried, but he likes it boiled with ketchup so thats the way he gets its......Good times.

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

D13er · Nov 16, 2009

boiled heart....jeezus, is there enough catsup for that ?....tough old goat huh??

great post/pic, thanks for sharing

JB

Hardway · Nov 16, 2009

LOL....Guess they did'nt have enough money for eggs and flour in the old days

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

mywifehateshuntingseason · Mar 6, 2010

Sliced up soaked in salt water overnight, battered and fried. I actually tricked my wife and kids one time with a whitetail heart, didn't tell them what it was until after their 3rd helping. I almost lost my life but they sure did like it

KentHunter · May 10, 2010

WE soak our deer,elk,bear and moose hearts (we also always keep the moose tongues) overnight in salt water. This draws alot of the blood out of the meat. Then we slice it it into rings about 1/2 inch thick and trim all of the tendons from the inside of the slices. Then we dredge the slices in seasoned flour or "Krusteze" bake and fry mix and fry the slices in HOT oil or bacon grease. Serve er up with fresh fried taters and fried eggs. There ain't any leftovers!! We do our livers the same way. We have found that soaking the liver overnight in the salt water really draws alot of the blood out of it and we also skin that thin membrane off of the outside of the liver also. This makes for a much milder liver taste. On a side note. When we were REAL young bucks our dads and uncles would have us throw a knife at a nearby tree and the last one of us that didn't throw the knife and make it stick into the tree had the duty of eating one of the testicals of whatever buck or bull that was killed that day!! Not alot of fun for me and my cousins, but the old guys sure got a kick out of it!! My Uncle Al always cooked up the "oyster". It really wasn't that bad tasting. It was just the idea of what it was that got to us. Fun times!! It was a little over fouty years ago.

dancermatt · Aug 16, 2010

Sorry I'm late to this post but I pan fry meats, chicken, pork and fish in a mix of oil/grease and part butter. If you just use butter it will burn. 4 parts oil to 1 part butter for flavor. The "brine" your talking about is 1/2 Kosher Salt to one gallan water. If roasting chicken or port, add 1 cup brown sugger to brine. It's realy great brining a turkey overnight. The best turkey or roast pork you've ever had. You can add Pepper Corns, apple juice, soy sauce, orange juice...so many different things...back to the heart or pan frying meat...make sure meat is dried well befor coating in flour mix so it browns well and gets that nice crust. Throw some thinly sliced onion and saute till soft, 1T flour...stir one minute, add 4 cups milk, lots of pepper and salt to tast. If you want to get fancy finish off with some chopped Italian Parsley to sprinkly on top. Oh my God...don't forget the rolls.

gnatboy911 · Nov 26, 2010

hey i'm kinda late too, but....my mom and grandmother sometimes will take the heart and pickle it in vinegar and onions. i think she slices it, washes it real good, then boils it for a bit to cook it. then just soak it for a while in the fridge in the vinegar and onions with some pepper....i think thats how they do it. anyways, its really tender and delicious.

chasemike · Dec 26, 2010

I love heart & liver, but bull elk liver, is the worst, I have ever tasted.

dleonard3 · Jan 13, 2011

I've never tasted Bull Elk Liver, but I went Elk hunting one time with a guy that brought a Red Healer cow dog, but forgot the dog food. We threw him a few food scraps to keep him alive for the first few days, then when the first elk was killed, we brought him the whole liver and he gobbled it up like it was ice cream. Then he got real quiet and layed down for a bit, then he regurgitated about 10 lbs of chopped liver. He layed back down and staired at that pile for a few minutes, then he got up and gobbled it down again. This time it stayed down somehow. All I can say is, if it was nasty enough to gag a dog, I'll pass. But thanks anyway.