Whenever I hunt, I’m always on the lookout for deer because of their delicious venison meat, especially their heart! You’ll be surprised by how rich the flavor is, especially when you cook it just right. Sure, people might find you weird for cooking and consuming deer heart, but don’t knock it ’til you try it!
But the question is: How can you even prepare and cook it as a yummy dish? As I did my research (and did it myself), I realized it wasn’t that hard and anyone can do it! So read on as I show you the proper steps and tips on how to cook deer heart for you and the family to enjoy.
How to Cook Deer Heart
As I was camping during my hunt, I was already thinking about the delicious food I could whip up with the venison meat I got. That’s what inspired me to make this article to help out fellow hunters use all the meat and have a hearty meal (pun intended!).
There are only five steps to follow for a simple yet rich, fancy dish the family will love:
1. Prepare the Heart
For starters, you need to wash your deer heart and remove the blood clots. What I do is to hold the deer heart under running water (room temperature). As I wash the heart, I squeeze it, which would imitate the heart’s normal function, though this time, it removes the gunk and blood that might still be inside it.
Heart and liver from a red deer fawn.
That way, it’s fully clean and safe to consume, without having any dirt or clots which may affect those who consume it.
2. Slice the Meat and Trim Away the Fat
After that, slice the deer heart into one-inch slices. You can also cut it whole, into smaller chunks, or dice it if that’s what you prefer. For those who feel hesitant about eating deer heart (or have visitors who are), then it’s best to dice it first to look less like a deer heart and more delicious meat.
Afterward, trim off any fat from the heart, which will have the meat look and taste nicer. Remove and cut out any rough fibers around the heart as well.
3. Saute and Cook Meat
In a saucepan, add a few tablespoons of melted butter and chopped onion, sautéing it until it’s slightly brown. Then add salt and pepper, as well as other seasonings you want, continuing to sauté before adding the meat.
Once ready, add the meat to the saucepan and sear each side until it becomes a nice shade of brown.
Read more:
- Hunter’s Guide To Cooking Deer: 8 Tips To Make The Most Of It
- How To Cook Deer Sausage: The Easy and Simple Guide You Need
- How to Cook a Wild Turkey: The 3 Delicious Recipes to Try Out!
4. Continue to Cook the Meat Until Fully Cooked
Once the meat becomes brown, continue to cook it on medium-low heat until it’s ALMOST finished. Right before it’s completely cooked, add a quarter cup of water, which would extract the flavors out of the pan, going back into your deer heart meat.
Keep cooking the deer heart until it’s now fully cooked. You’ll know it’s fine when there isn’t any blood or reddish shades. There may be a few tints of pink and that’s completely normal, as long as it isn’t blood red!
5. Serve the Dish and Enjoy!
Now that the heart is fully cooked and ready to eat, serve it for the entire family to feast on! You can serve the cooked heart by itself, but I like to pair it with fries or mashed potatoes for the perfect balance of carbs and protein. If you want an extra fanciness put to the dish, add some freshly chopped chives and a delicious dipping sauce to match.
There are even more ways to cook deer heart other than the simple frying. Some like a fried heart with buttermilk gravy, use the meat as kabobs, or even pickle it, though you have to be wary about pickling to prevent consuming hearts with diseases.
For more information and recipes on how to cook and prepare deer heart properly, check out this informative video:
Wrapping It Up
Who said you couldn’t use all of the meat you find in deer? As long as you clean and cook it right, it can become the tasty dish your entire family and friends will love! It’s one of the main reasons why I continue hunting because nothing compares to venison meat.
I hope this article on how to cook deer heart gave you an idea on how to make this part of the deer a yummy one. So don’t wait any longer and try out this simple yet classic recipe to serve now!
If you have any questions or want to share your unique recipes with deer heart, then comment below. Your thoughts are much appreciated.