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Finding the Forgotten Feast

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Venison Wobbly Bits – Heart, Liver, Kidneys, Tongue

finished grilled deer heart with peppers
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

I know, many people leave the deer’s innards in the dust where they shot it. That’s a pity.

Fortunately, the more deer hunters I meet, the more I meet who keep the liver and heart. It warms the cockles of my heart to see that this “fifth quarter” of the animal is at least getting used by some of my fellow hunters. Hopefully, if you try some of these recipes, you will get as excited about the wobbly bits as I am.

Ranging in “eater difficulty” from easiest to most challenging, I’d start with the heart, then tongue — both are just muscles, after all. From there, go for the liver; livers from young animals are far better than old ones, and honestly, I am not too keen on livers from big bulls or bucks. After liver, go for the kidneys, which I like a lot. But they need to soak first. Finally, yes, you can eat venison tripe. It’s the top challenge of a wild offal eater.

Below are my favorite deer heart recipes, deer liver recipes, as well as a few for other deer offal. If you have a favorite not listed here, leave a comment and I’ll see if I can make it.

grilled deer heart recipe

Grilled Deer Heart with Peppers

If you don’t like this recipe, you don’t like venison. Elk or deer heart cutlets, seared hard and fast on the grill, then sliced thin and served with grilled peppers and onions. It’s awesome.

Read More about Grilled Deer Heart with Peppers

Holding a taco de lengua ready to eat

Deer Tongue Tacos

The Mexican taco truck classic, done with deer or elk tongues. No one who likes tacos won’t like this. And everyone likes tacos.

Read More about Deer Tongue Tacos

A plate of jagerschnitzel

Jaeger Schnitzel with Heart Cutlets

A German classic using deer hearts, pounded thin, seared hot and fast and served with mushroom sauce.

Read More about Classic Jaegerschnitzel

British meatballs with mashed potatoes and peas

British Venison Meatballs

These are so damn good! A British classic they call “faggots,” these are big meatballs made with venison and liver, with a bit of oats in them, “Scarborough Faire” herbs and spices, all wrapped in caul fat or bacon. What’s not to love?

Read More about British Venison Meatballs

Cajun dirty rice recipe in a bowl

Venison Dirty Rice

Made with minced deer liver and venison heart, this is a wild game take on the classic Cajun dish. This is probably the most approachable offal dish I know. Everyone like this!

Read More about Cajun Dirty Rice

braised venison tongue salad recipe

Sliced Venison Tongue Salad

As its name suggests, this is an appetizer made from braised deer tongue sliced very thin and served on a salad.

Read More about Sliced Venison Tongue Salad

braised venison tongue with horseradish

Braised Venison Tongue

Another braised venison or elk tongue recipe, this one is also sliced thin, but served on crackers with a zippy horseradish sauce.

Read More about Braised Venison Tongue

seared venison kidneys

Simple Seared Venison Kidneys

I love deer kidneys. Soak them in milk overnight to cleanse them, then grill the venison kidneys over a hot fire and serve with salt, black pepper and lemon.

Read More about Simple Seared Venison Kidneys

liver creme caramel

Venison Liver Creme Caramel

Yep, you heard me. It’s a savory custard that is way more wonderful than it sounds. This is a recipe you need to try to appreciate.

Read More about Wild Game Liver Creme Caramel

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Hank Shaw holding a rod and reel in the American River

Hi, my name is Hank Shaw; I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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