# Deer hearts and Liver



## Outlaw9

I am wanting to start eating the hearts and liver form the deer I kill. Just wondering if anyone else does this. What is the Proper way to prepare the heat and liver for eating. Also if you have any good link on the subject leave em here.

I have eat a few livers but didnt really know if i needed to do anything special or what ever. I got a liver and heart in the fridge soaking in salt water.


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## dagwood

I cook them up in a cast iron skillet with butter,onions,and sliced mushrooms. Cook on low heat and keep covered. Add a can of mushroom soup to the mix as well........and season to taste.


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## Outlaw9

How do you clean the heart? What do you cut off, remove etc. How do you slice it to fry?


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## dagwood

I cut all the white tissue off of it and cut it into small pieces just like doing sirlion tips. I don't actually fry it all.....just cooking everything down into a tasty batch...


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## Outlaw9

Cool I am gonna cut it up later and was just wondering. I made one slic ein it to open it up. I noticed it has some really tuff web looking stuff in it. Thought I would ask before I cut it up.


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## dagwood

The webb stuff is what you feed to de cat...........You'll find a bit of that on the liver as well. Trim em both down well and you'll be happy.


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## vicker

Eat the heart and liver as fresh as possible. Soup for the heart. Dredge the liver in flour, fry in a little oil, add onions and fry some more. When the onions are getting clear, add some water to make gravy :dance:


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## Paquebot

Vicker covered the best way to handle any liver. It must be fresh or kept under very cold refrigeration. Freezing venison liver breaks it down to mush when thawed 

If you grind your own meat for sausage or burger, you can also add the heart. Heart can also be cut in half and boiled. Then sliced for sandwich meat, either warm or cold. Best used with a good spiced mustard.

Martin


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## tallpines

I use the heart by cubing the cooked meat and following a recipe for beef stroganoff.
Served over noodles~~~~~~~~!!!!!!!

A FAVORITE dish at our house!


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## Bearfootfarm

You can also "butterfly" the heart and grill it like a steak. Dont overcook it though. Ive never liked deer liver, although I do like most other kinds of liver My 4 dogs sure love it though!


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## Outlaw9

Anything I need to look for in the liver. Anything to cut out? Anything to avoid?


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## Paquebot

Outlaw9 said:


> Anything I need to look for in the liver. Anything to cut out? Anything to avoid?


Where the main artery enters it, that would be a bit tough like a sinew. Rather than try to cut that out, you can begin slicing from the outside edge and work in to the artery. Or, slice the whole works and then trim out the biggest arteries. 

Also, don't worry about cutting into a gall bladder since deer don't have any!

Martin


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## Outlaw9

Thanks for the info everybody.


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## RoyalOaksRanch

I dont eat the liver, but we cook the heart up the same day we get the deer. I slice mine like steak and grill it with sauted onions and mushrooms.. Totall YUMMY!


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## jross

Outlaw9 said:


> Anything I need to look for in the liver. Anything to cut out? Anything to avoid?


If you come across a grey purple thingy in the liver, it is liver fluke. Harmless, but I am told they taste awful. A butcher showed me how to "skin" a liver by knicking the outer sheath, then inserting one's fingers under the sheath and seperating it from the the liver by working the fingers back and forth. Avoid anything such as spinal and brain tissue, the organs that carry CWD. If the meat is cut with a saw, clean it, removing bone dust and spinal tissue.


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## Guest

Deer liver is the only part of the deer that is a little too gamey tasting for me. I keep mine to use for catfishing. I think a few cats is a good trade for a liver and onion dinner. As for the heart, I usually split it open and remove the vains. Then grind it up with the trimmings.


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## Oxankle

RH the Okie is absolutely right about the liver and catfish. 

I have the same problem with pig livers. Family does not care for liver, but I have found that pig liver is just as good as chicken liver for catfish. Not only that, but it will stay on the hook where chicken livers melt and fall off! I've already caught ten or fifteen pounds of small cats off one package of liver, and I have several more packages. Just waiting for spring!
Ox


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## Outlaw9

Well the catfish does sound like a good trade. Anyways I had the liver and heart in a bowl together in salt water in the fridge. No more than 2 days. When I went to clean em they had a almost pickled or vinigerie smell. Maybe I should have had them both in the same bowl. I through them out. Has any one else had that problem? I washed them pretty good before soaking them. When I went to cut them up I would run water into the vein in the liver and blood would come out everytime. Well just wondering what I did wrong. They where outta of the deer and in the fridge within 45 mins


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