Deer liver and heart?

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bigbore442001

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In the past, most hunters would relish the thought of eating heart and liver. Traditionally, this was the first thing eaten when in hunting camp. I fondly remember the first deer, a nice buck, I shot as a teenager in the Keystone State with my Dad. We were happy and I remember the words," You are now a man". Very important social marker that is sadly missing in society.

Anyways. That taste of heart and liver from the deer was great. But over time, some health experts have decreed such things as being rather unhealthy. The liver can hold toxins like nickle, cadmium and mercury. Back then, most people couldn't spell cholesterol never mind know or care what it is. The heart now is supposed to be filled with it.

So. What is your opinion of heart and liver? Do you eat it? Do you leave it in the woods? Do you give it away? Thanks.
 
Never eat liver anymore, but.....Baked heart stuffed
with Stovetop stuffing ain't bad. :)
 
Never been too fond of beef liver but will eat it on occasion. Deer liver, now that's different. That's the first thing my wife and I eat from a deer and usually the same day when it's fresh. Find it much milder that beef.
Liver is a good source of iron but is high in cholestrol. However one feed won't hurt you IMO. Just don't eat it every day :wink: .
Heart is OK in my books but my wife isn't fond of it. I like to fry some up along with the liver.
 
Heart & Liver

My wife and I eat both. I smother the liver in gravy & onions, and the heart I usually boil and batter and fry after that.
 
We like a bunch of fried onion with the liver too. No gravy though. We like to fry the liver in saved bacon drippings.
 
Eat the hearts all the time, very tasty. How do you prepare/clean the livers? I love beef liver but haven't had venison liver. I just don't know how to clean them. Such a large of meat, I hate leaving them though I know all the critters love them. Thanks
 
Eat the hearts all the time, very tasty. How do you prepare/clean the livers? I love beef liver but haven't had venison liver. I just don't know how to clean them. Such a large piece of meat, I hate leaving them though I know all the critters love them. Thanks
 
Liver

I usually carry a gallon zip-lock in my pack for just the liver and heart (if there's any left), and pack it home seperately.

I wash the liver good, then slice it into 1/2" slices. Then I rinse it good (3 or 4 times), and then I soak it for a day or two (I have soaked it a week) in the fridge in a solution of 2 qts. water, 1 tbsp. salt, and 1/4 cup vinegar. Double that if needed to make sure that it's all covered. When I'm ready to cook it I rinse it good and let it set in buttermilk for an hour or so. I then flour it, fry it in bacon-drippings, slice a couple of onions up, brown them on top of the liver, pour about 1/2 cup of flour over that, a little salt and pepper, and then add water top get the gravy consistency right.

That, smashed taters, and a cat-head biscuit.... making me hungry just thinking about it. WAIT A MINUTE!!! I'VE GOT SOME SOAKING FROM A DEER THAT I GOT LAST WEEK. Guess what I'll be having for dinner?!?!?!?
 
My mouth is watering already. Do you cut the outer skin off? Thanks for the tips, John
 
When I prepare a liver I first carefully peel off that out skin. Then slice in thin, probably 1/4 inch. Cut out the big blood vessels. I roll it in flour but you could use anything you like. I don't fry too long, just long enough to get 'er done. Too long and it's tough, IMO.
 
Thanks for the advice.

RAF, I peeled the liver from the deer that I harvested last weekend and it really made a difference. My squaw was impressed. I floured it, browned it in bacon drippings, added 2 sliced onions, 1/4 cup of flour, and 1 cup water. Simmered for 30 minutes, and DAY_YUM! All kinda' good! Thanks for the advice.
 
Glad you liked it. More and more of the people I know are starting to keep the liver.
 
we do the heart and liver in flour and pan fry with onions and sometimes green peppers


almost too good to make it to table

normally eat right out of the pan

but lately my wife freaks out if i bring home heart an liver

hell she had a stroke when she say a pan with the internal tenderloins in it tonite


JD
 
Caution on Deer liver

Been a fan of deer liver and onions for decades-pan fried after being dredged in seasoned flour. Never thought about it until last season, it was always does and young bucks eat cooked the liver. Hadn't had any in a couple of years so when a nice 7 pt. got my hounds going last season and he stopped to eat in my backyard foodplot-he never left. I dressed him and saved the liver. When we cooked it-it was nothing like I remembered, and it had numerous pockets of dark thick clot-like stuff. Research determined this to be Liver Flukes- a parasite-not harmful to humans, especially once cooked, but hell, who wants to eat a cooked parasite! Hounds got it for dinner and loved it. (More than my first attempt at cooking beef brisket-the Bloodhound ran away from it!) Note to Self-if you want deer liver-double lung a small young doe! (BTW-the 7 pt was a real old deer, teeth badly worn.
 
we do around here.
in a pan or on a stick by the fire.
as a boy i shot my first buck a 8 pt.
dad watched as i gutted my first kill.i was told the tale of how you must drink the spirit of the animal.
well i did not drink its blood. but some was wiped on my face like war paint. latter garlic salt black pepper onions were all swimming in bacon grease. it was good but tough i thought.
as i got older in years my own son got a buck nice 3pt at 10 and the same tale was told. i have often wondered just how long this tale has been told.
so yes we do around here.
as far as food goes the liver and heart are very good for you! and a fresh liver is loaded with marco nut's that you can not get from hard fiber type meats.in a real life hunter gather world these would be the first parts to eat in most likely right on the spot of kill.
 
Never had deer liver, but some of these recipes with onions and gravy are making my mouth water!

I had every intention of keeping the heart from the buck I shot this year and making heart tacos. I put the heart back in the body cavity after I field dressed him. I was dragging him back to the truck for a while and looked back and saw the heart had fallen out into the open field a ways back. Wasn't about to trudge back in the cold, wet drizzle in snow to retrieve it again.

Emrah
 

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