I get asked a lot about deer heart. Yeah, I know. Welcome to my world. But hearts are one of the more accessible wobbly bits — after all, they’re muscle, just like a tenderloin — and, I am very happy to say, an increasing number of deer hunters are keeping them for the table. So how to cook them?
There are lots of ways, from tossing them into a stew or casserole to pounding them thin and making a classic German jaegerschnitzel. The best way to cook a deer heart? Grilled. Hands down. Marinated and then grilled over very high heat just long enough for the center to warm, then sliced thin with some grilled peppers and onions — man, oh man you got to try it.
Just look at that picture. If you can honestly say that plate of food doesn’t look good to you, you are clearly a vegetarian. Which is fine, by the way, but then why are you looking at a picture of a grilled venison heart? Tempting, isn’t it…
Getting a typical venison heart to look like this one takes a little doing. For starters, you need to trim the heart. Begin by using a very sharp knife to slice off any visible fat from the heart. Most venison hearts are pretty lean, and you will find fat only at the top. Discard it.
Now look at the top of the heart. See all the gaps and holes? Use them as a guide to slice the heart into several thick cutlets. Many cooks will tell you to “open the heart like a book,” but it doesn’t work quite like that. You get one really nice cutlet, then two slightly thicker ones. This can be a pain when you are trying to make a pounded cutlet for schnitzel, but no biggie for this recipe.
Carefully cut away any and all vein-y bits from the inside of the heat; they look like cobwebs sticking to its inner walls. You should now have 2 to 4 nice, clean hunks of meat.
With a typical deer heart from a white-tailed deer, a blacktail or a muley, one heart will feed two people. Maybe. A big deer will definitely feed two, an antelope only one. An elk heart or a moose heart will feed up to six. If you are a non-hunter still reading this, a pork heart is like a regular deer’s, veal heart is like an elk or moose heart, and a beef heart will definitely serve six, maybe more.
Note that I marinate the hearts. Careful readers of this site may notice that I almost never marinate meats.
Why? Because a marinade penetrates meat at no more than 1/4 inch per day. This means you’d need 2-3 days for a really good steak or a thick piece of venison backstrap. And by then the outer layer of meat will be mushy. But a day’s marinade will penetrate almost down to the center of a deer heart, so in this case it works.
Get your grill raging hot. You want a char on the outside of the heart, but the center still very much pink. A hot grill and cool meat will help you do this. So unlike most meats, which you should bring to room temperature first, in this case take the marinated hearts right from the fridge to the grill.
My final piece of advice: Undercook the hearts just a little. For whatever reason, hearts tend to go from pretty pink to icky gray faster than other cuts. And an overcooked heart is a sad thing. Dog food. Best to undercook a bit, then let the meat rest for a good 10 minutes.
If all goes well, you will be rewarded. Grilled hearts have a smoky, charred flavor on the outside, a tang from your marinade and a dense, firm texture somewhere between ribeye and flank steak. Slice thin and enjoy. Oh, and if you are serving people who might get all squinchy about eating deer heart, don’t tell them until after they’ve demolished their plate.
Grilled Venison Heart with Peppers and Onions
Ingredients
- 1 or 2 deer hearts or 1 elk, moose or beef heart
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 or 4 colored bell peppers, cut into 2 to 3 pieces each
- 1 large onion, cut into large wedges
Instructions
- 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.
My go to every time!
My wife and I are big fans of yours Hank and we tell all our fellow hunter gatherers about you. You’ve especially turned us on to the “wobbly bits”. We now eat what used to go to the dog! And now we’re ready to go all in. You wrote in Buck Buck Moose that “umble pie can be very, very good”. Can you recommend a recipe for umble pie? Thanks for everything and if you are ever in the Chicago area contact us and we can hook you up with the best veggies you’ve ever had fresh from our farm.
I own buck buck moose! I love your recipes ! I cook a lot of wild d game and have experimented with them but your recipes perfect any goals I had thx!
My husband and I loved this dish! It is December and pretty cold here, so I opted to broil in the oven rather than to grill outdoors. I followed the recipe exactly, marinating the heart for two days. I am an experienced cook, but new to game. I used my instant-read digital thermometer to check the internal temperature. Perfect! Thank you, Hank, for a great, healthy, tasty recipe! (Note that I put the peppers skin-side up on my foil-lined baking sheet, as I was broiling , not grilling.) :o)
Should I be able to approximate grilling with a hot cast iron pan?
Stephen: Yes. Just don’t use too much oil when you do. And turn the fan on.
Used the recipe on an elk heart – came out great. Big hit for the entire family.
Super delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Hello, I can’t seem to find the nutrition info for deer heart. Will you be willing to help me ? The recipe was delicious by the way! Thank you!
This recipe is fantastic. I left mine in the marinade for 24hrs and grilled it over charcoal for the almost exactly the amount of time as prescribed,(one cutlet was a bit thin) and it turned out perfect. I served it to two people who had never eaten heart of any kind, and they said it was one of the finest pieces of meat they had ever had. 5 stars.
My deer processor doesn’t eat deer. They simply don’t care for it and that’s just fine with me, especially as they butcher it perfectly. But, the look on their faces is priceless every time I reach up into the chest cavity and drop a heart into a Zip-Loc bag before leaving them with a deer to process. “What are you going to do with THAT?!”, they ask. “Grill it!” I say. And every time I grill it, I use Hank’s recipe. Kill a deer, save the heart and follow the instructions above. You’ll be glad you did.
Do you cut the heart into pieces before or after you grill it?
Joey: I cut the heart into largish flat pieces, grill, then slice.
Amazing! We marinated for 3 days and served over potatoes!
Thanks Hank! Great recipe and easy enough to do. Tried this on a whitetail buck heart. Turned out great.
Forgive my ignorance. Do you slice the meat into medallions before or after you cook it?
Tanya: Before you cook it.
In the past year we have been given two elk hearts. I had no idea they could be this good! Now I wonder why anyone would give them away, but glad they did. The marinade, the searing, the texture and the vegetables are delicious!
Thanks. Will investigate your website further.
I tried this recipe out for my first deer heart. Everyone loved it, but I did find that it is very important to ensure that the sections of the heart are cut with even thickness. I didn’t do that and ended up having perfect sections and VERY undercooked sections on the same piece of meat.
I will attempt this recipe again 100%
Ive eaten hearts my whole life. From chicken hearts and gizzards, to beef, to venison. It still surprises me how many hunters are still willing to give away their hearts. I made this recipe the first time about three years ago, and have used it ever since. Their is something about the vinegar and the herbs that just make it awesome!!!!
I was looking for an idea for next week to cook this past August’s caribou’s heart. Now I know what I’ll do!
Thanks Hank, and Bowsite for the link. I have been eating deer hearts all my life, and tonight I tried your recipe. WOW. Definitely my favourite. It was minus 37’C outside but it turned out great, and worth freezing over. Got the deer heart during late season muzzleloader season. Served it up as a surf and turf, with a piece of freshly caught salmon, done on the grill as well.
Made this recipe today from this weeks control hunt harvest. I was amazed how tender the heart was, more so then the tenderloin. I will definitely do this again! Thanks Hank.
We made this the night after I got my first buck. It was so incredible. It tasted like a really good tenderloin. We are so sad that we haven’t eaten the heart before now. Hank has changed us.
You know, it occurs to me that every deer comes with exactly one heart and one liver (thank you but I’ll pass on the lungs and kidneys) and usually one set of flanks (when tainted they are *not* flanks but merely eject-able squishies). Upon harvest, the ingredients for each of these three recipes should be on every hunter’s phone to text the shopping list to whoever can run to the store.
How big are deer tongue, anyway? How much is lost in peeling? ____Marty
Marty: Not much. I eat every tongue I get.
Came across this recipe recently and last night I prepared it exactly as you described and now I’m disappointed I’ll have to wait until next season to have it again. It was delicious! After a few hours in the fridge I couldn’t believe how the aroma of the marinade went from heavy worcestershire to something so heavenly. Thanks for the great post and clear descriptions of prepping the heart as well. Very useful!
Andrea
Hank,
I fixed the deer heart recipe for an appetizer before the Thanksgiving feast. I toasted slices of Italian bread on the grill and served it as open-faced finger food sandwiches: medium rare heart, grilled onion and peppers. A bottle of roasted pecan whisky on the side and I earned some new converts to grilled wobbly bits. I’ll never leave another intact heart in the gutpile again! Thanks for the inspiration!
I grew up in Wyoming eating heart with runny eggs the day of a kill, and I continued that in Montana until I discovered your recipe for the grill. My 5 and 2 year old devour it, and I know others around me that are starting to save hearts. We did bull elk tongue for halloween, and kids were frequently grabbing slices of it as they chased through the house. I sure appreciate your site and books, and hope to run into you around Livingston on of these days.
Something I could offer for wild game readers is the way we handle lower leg meat. We stole it from some practical neighbor. We remove it and freeze several pieces together for large crock pot days. The crock pot will dissolve the difficult tissue in that meat, it can be removed, and then you can make great shredded meat of whatever variety you prefer. It surely shouldn’t be ground for the dogs, but there are many hunters who do that.
Thanks for all the inspiration.
Ever tried to cure venison hearts? That’s common in Scandinavia, particularly among moose hunters.
Kristine: I haven’t, but there is no reason it won’t work. Be sure to trim and clean the hearts, though, so you can get the salt into every nook and cranny.
I LOVE Deer and Elk hearts, well, beef too. The tongues, livers, and kidneys as well. Got to watch the Elk livers. I’ll try your recipe next chance I get.
We usually ate the liver and onions for dinner and the next morning sliced the heart, breaded it, and fried it in bacon drippings along with country potatoes or hashbrowns. Then went looking for More!
Thank you. Very good recipe. I changes the herbs, but the essence is the same
could this marinate be used to bake the heart, we like to bake it stuffed
Kim: I suppose. I never do that with hearts. Let me know how it turns out, OK?
we recently cooked a small deer heart by marinating it in soy sauce for a half day after cutting it into bite sized pieces, then coating in bread crumbs and frying in a cast iron skillet. so yummy. will try your version next time. we also really enjoyed the liver.
We made this last night with antelope heart and it was great! Just wondering, do the onions and peppers go in the marinade too? Hoping to have an elk heart to prepare this way too soon.
I made this minus the peppers with fresh cilantro, lime juice, onions, and Jack’s salsa on corn tortillas. It was fantastic. I don’t let any of my friends throw away the hearts now.
Kevin: Aim for the lungs! 😉 Seriously, if the heart is blown up, leave it in the field. If it’s just damaged, grind it for burger or sausage.
Problem is, the heart is where I usually place my shot. What do you think would be an option for a pierced heart, or exploded chamber?
John: You should be fine. I do this with thawed hearts all the time. Just put the heart in the fridge and let it thaw overnight.
Due to my work schedule I had to put the venison heart I just got into the freezer. Did I ruin it? Any special considerations on how to dethaw it? Thanks!
My family has been cooking all hearts this way since I could walk! From where I stand, this is the ONLY method!
Be careful not to slice your raw meat too thin. At a half inch, it will only take a super hot cast iron pan a few minutes to char the outside, and leave the inside pink.
Don’t crowd your pan. Heart has a high moisture content, so if you start to see too much liquid, remove some of the meat and add a little more oil. Do not be tempted to pour off the liquid, or add flour. The oil you add gets hotter than the water, and will fix your pan as long as you clear some of the meat.
I pan fried a small deer heart with baby sweet peppers and wedge onion. I following the marinade recipe except for fresh thyme for 4 hours. It was awesome — Bon Appetite!
Awesome recipe…only thing I did different was put hearts and marinade in cast iron skillet and stuck it under the broiler for a few minutes…flipped it once. Had it along side some brook trout and just picked asparagus…fantastic!
Thanks you for a great recipe. I have been eating venison heart for a long time but never like this. It is so tender and does not have the heavy mineral taste it gets when you oven roast or braise it. I added garlic and paprika to the marinade. Spot on! Many mahalos and a big Aloha!
Thanks for the venison heart recipe – this year my husband harvested the hearts of the 7 deer that were successfully hunted this year. They are like gold! We had one on Christmas day, following your marinade (and added some of our favourite flavours too).
I have to say – this was the best kept secret. Venison heart is so rich and flavourful, and tender. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Really enjoy your blog and looking for recipes for the less popular cuts of meat (tongue and liver are next)!
Happy New Year!
Tried this recipe with fresh venison hearts and it turned out wonderful. Normally I would cook the hearts in stews and soups but this just blew that out of the water. Great recipe.
Cooked the heart from a small doe. Reading your note abount not overcooking, and since Thickest piece was only 3/8 inch, only cooked it a few minutes each side. I put the peppers and onions on first, so they had more time to cook. Tasted great. Also, no gamy taste (deer from Illinois, raised on corn & soybeans). Had kidneys using your recipe. Great too. My only issue was marinating for 2 days, the olive oil became solid. Next time, i will Probably use lighter oil if refrridgating. Thanks !
Thanks Hank! I stopped my hunter/neighbor from discarding the heart from a 12-pointer and now, as the new owner of this heart, I wanted to find a recipe to do it justice and this looks perfect. I’ll let you know. BTW, your photographer, Holly, did a great job with this shot.
After years of tossing the heart out with the rest of the stuff I HAD to try it… So I made it as described and yup its still organ meat to me. Looks like heart cooks like heart, tastes like heart… Next…
That’s a beautiful pink you got on the heart. We had an enormous ox’s heart a few months back that we corned in memory of a fabulous pastrami-style beef heart we had at the French Laundry. It was delicious even though we badly overcooked it. Can only imagine how good venison heart would be!
I knew if I came looking here that I would, once again, find just the right recipe. I havent cooked a deer heart in many years. I would like to say that is due to the fact that I am a perfect shot and there is nary a heart left to save. But I cannot. This time I have a deer heart and will be trying your recipe. I cook all my venison steaks and strips over searing hot heat so this seems appropriate.
In the past the only way I have cooked heart is to stuff it and bake it whole, sliced into thin rounds. Twas delicious that way too.
Thanks for the recipe! Love this site!
Keith: I bet it would work, although it might be a little chewy. Congrats on the hunt!
Just wondering if you could do this recipe kabob style. Your thoughts???
I have a fresh whitetail heart marinating now jkust waiting for tomorrow night. Supper before I start to bone out two Minnesota Whitetail bucks.
Thanks,
Keith
Just wanted to point out to other ways to use venison heart although I don’t have the recipes with me right now. My mother-in-law makes head cheese out of venison heart and it is WONDERFUL! Also, my brother-in-law makes pickled venison heart and it is excellent served on crackers. Even my 7 year old loves it and has been eating it for 2 years now!
Thanks for posting these wonderful recipes! I am very anxious to try out the tongue and kidney ones!
Thanks for this wonderful recipe! Just tried it tonight with the elk heart from my opening day bull- it was outstanding. I have tried many heart recipes and I think this is my favorite. The grilled peppers, onions and heart are the perfect combination of flavors. Thanks so much!
Nice work Hank – just finished cooking up a heart from yesterday’s hunt with this recipe – great stuff! I served it with some home made garlic bread (fresh garlic, parlsey, black pepper, butter, olive oil) and actually ended up mixing the ingredients together before serving but pretty much everything exactly as per the recipe. Finger licking good, thanks again!
thanks for this great recipe. Deer heart is a real delight in my family, and until i find a supplier, we only eat it once a year during, or shortly after deer season, usually by butchering. Traditionally we have simply rolled them in flower and quickly fried in butter, a method we also occaionally due with backstraps.
Lately i’ve been wrapping backstraps in bacon and grilling them. yum.
Hank- That looks fantastic! I love venison heart, and fried chicken hearts… I like to take venison heart camping and sear it in a cast iron skillet to serve with breakfast. Some folks will eat it and some will not. I’ll try your recipe with the next one I cook. I shot three deer last season and kept all of the tongues for the first time after reading one of your posts last fall. I try to use as much of an animal as possible. I realized when while preparing the final one for the freezer that I had heart shot that deer… some would say a perfect shot, but it did make salvaging the heart for the pot a bit more difficult.
Grilled deer heart is one of the most delicious foods on the planet & I always looks forward to it the day after I bag.
Andrew: Heart dogs? Love it.
Vicky: Not gamier, but more of itself. A beef heart tastes beefier than ribeye, and a venison heart tastes more of venison than the backstrap.
Brady: The heart in this picture was taken off at 135 degrees, and it is a perfect medium. I suppose I could have taken it off earlier and rested it longer, but it worked.
135 degrees? Wow. You might as well put it in the microwave and nuke it for 20 minutes. that sucker will carry right over to nasty in no time. 115 and let her coast.
I make venison nigir with black strap and put it in a ripping hot black iron skillet and slice it while the center is still cool. Best venision you will ever eat.
Hart heart?
The venison looks SOOO good! I’ve just nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. You can take a look here…
http://onionsandchocolate.wordpress.com/2012/06/13/why-thank-you/
I love that this food blog is not just the typical “cookies and dinner for the kids” type and will continue reading and being inspired by you.
cheers!
Thanks for this Hank!
My Dad’s a hunter and regularly brings home deer (among other things), so I’m always on the lookout for any recipe that will help use the whole animal. It’s my belief that if you’re gonna kill it, you’d damn well better not waste it.
Would you say the heart is any gamier than other cuts?
It IS the best cut on the animal in my opinion, if prepared properly of course.
Need to try this. I have a beef heart on the stash that could be used up. I found three venison hearts in my freezer the other day, mixed them with pork shoulder, and made some killer traditional hotdogs out of them.
Hank, thank you so much for this, as well as the jaegerschnitzel recipe. I don’t have a deer heart (although, with any luck I will this autumn), but I do have the heart from the side of grass-finished heifer we recently purchased. I’ve been wondering what I could do with it.
Pork and veal heart have been dark-horse favorites at my barbecues. No one expects them to be good, but a mustardy vinaigrette and some smoky char is all you need to convert unbelievers.
Great looking recipe—I hope to make it this fall with venison heart, with any luck. 🙂