Author Topic: Deer liver and heart? (Read 7862 times)

bigbore442001 · « **on:** November 12, 2006, 07:04:09 AM »

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.

TNrifleman · « **Reply #1 on:** November 15, 2006, 06:18:03 AM »

I eat both the heart and the liver. I find them excellent and can't see leaving such fine eating laying in the woods in a gut pile.

.308sniper · « **Reply #2 on:** November 16, 2006, 11:26:04 AM »

YUCK!!!!

Echo4Lima · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2007, 11:01:35 AM »

YUCK?? Man are you missing out!!

m-g Willy · « **Reply #4 on:** February 23, 2007, 04:03:25 PM »

If it cant get away or jump out of the pot I eat it

Willy

corbanzo · « **Reply #5 on:** February 26, 2007, 10:06:46 AM »

Im a big fan of heart, the texture is different in differnet parts, you can get three different textures in one bite! which to some can be gross..., but i like it. The dogs can have the liver. I dont know many people who eat the filter before they drink the coffee

Though some members of my family get liver and onions every time they can.

Buckskin · « **Reply #6 on:** March 26, 2007, 11:23:29 AM »

I'm with you corbanzo, the heart is my favorite part of the deer. I will trade a deer heart for the tenderloins everytime. Although that is usually not necessary as most of the guys that I hunt with leave it anyway. I just cut it out as they are draggin' the deer. The liver, not for me. Have you ever seen a liver fluke?
Although I love liver sausage and poultry liver.

SingleShotShorty · « **Reply #7 on:** May 29, 2007, 02:18:42 PM »

Man there is nothing like Deer liver and Onions, Cowboy beans, and cornbread or cathead biscuits. Yum Yum

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #8 on:** May 29, 2007, 04:26:07 PM »

I've never eaten the heart but a light flour and egg wash on the liver with dill pickles, YUM!

Echo4Lima · « **Reply #9 on:** June 30, 2007, 05:50:42 AM »

Do deer get liver flukes?

Heart dusted with flour seasoned to liking, fast fried, not to well now or it'll get tough, couple of eggs, coffee, great breakfast.

Buckskin · « **Reply #10 on:** June 30, 2007, 06:20:19 AM »

Quote from: Echo4Lima on June 30, 2007, 05:50:42 AM

Do deer get liver flukes?

They sure do and they are nasty looking.

deltecs · « **Reply #11 on:** June 30, 2007, 05:33:40 PM »

I live in Alaska after moving here in 1969 from PA. I spent every available hour hunting white tail there but at the time was limited to 1 a year. I ate the heart and liver on every one. Now that I live in an area of Alaska having abundant black tailed deer and having shot over 100, I can attest that heart and deer liver and onions is a delicacy for me and my family. My children and wife do not like liver except for the black tailed deer. And I have run across any liver flukes. It's making my mouth water as the season opens in 31 days.

rockbilly · « **Reply #12 on:** July 01, 2007, 04:04:32 PM »

If you are gonna do it, do it right.

Fry several slices of thick sliced bacon in a cast iron skillet, or dutch oven. While the bacon is cooking, wash the liver in cold water, slice into 1/2 inch thick pieces, and set aside on a double or triple thickness of paper towels to dry. When the bacon has cooked, remove it from the skillet and save the bacon grease. Slice two large onions in 1/4 inch slices. Put two cups of flour in a one gallon plastic storage bag, add salt and pepper to taste, add about a quarter teaspoon of garlic powder and shake to mix ingredients, add the liver, one slice at a time, shaking as each slice is added. When covered with flour, remove and place in the hot bacon grease, and cook until golden brown on each side, add the onions and let them cook. Do not over cook the liver! If you really feel adventurous, remove the liver and onions, throw the remaining flour in the skillet and brown, a add about one cup of milk and one cup of water. You may need to add more water if the grave is too thick. Cook up a big pot of rice (1 cup of rice, two cups of water, salt to taste) and enjoy. Sometimes I make what the southerners call "smothered liver and onions" you do this by putting the liver and onions back into the gravy, covering and letting it simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Now you know why mine was a triple by-pass................I don't (can't) eat it very often today, but I still love it!

chalmitch · « **Reply #13 on:** July 22, 2007, 03:01:50 PM »

Any of you PA hunters ever eat "pickled heart"? Where I go in Schuykill County, near Shenandoah, the people my age and older are wild for it.

Best regards,
chalmitch

buckbeast · « **Reply #14 on:** July 23, 2007, 02:04:52 PM »

I'm from PA and I've had pickled heart. Usually cooked in pickled hot peppers. Very tasty.

aflineman · « **Reply #15 on:** September 01, 2007, 05:32:09 PM »

Fry the heart up with shaggy mane mushrooms; not many things better. Deer liver and Walla Walla Sweet onions = make my mouth water.

ihookem · « **Reply #16 on:** December 04, 2007, 02:40:51 PM »

I have'nt heard talk like this since my grandpa passed away 26 years ago. He ate about everything including cow tongue, and pig hocks? I don't know what it is, and blood suasage! To each his own. Around christmas time our family likes to eat raw beef and onions on dark bread with salt and pepper. Now that you got me thinking a German girl an old friend married always too my heart (of the deer) And does deer liver taste the same as cow liver?

quickdtoo · « **Reply #17 on:** December 04, 2007, 02:49:16 PM »

Deer liver is good stuff, beef liver isn't near as good, no comparison IMO. I know some people that hate all liver except deer liver, it's that much better than beef or pork liver. Moose liver is good stuff too, right there with deer, but elk is more like beef liver, not quite as bad.

In our camps, deer liver never makes it home, it's always eaten the night of the kill, fresh liver and onions.

I've even been known to take hearts and livers from fresh deer gut piles cuz lots of folks don't eat em, just leave em, their loss!!

Tim

deltecs · « **Reply #18 on:** December 05, 2007, 10:09:03 AM »

Quote from: quickdtoo on December 04, 2007, 02:49:16 PM

Deer liver is good stuff, beef liver isn't near as good, no comparison IMO. I know some people that hate all liver except deer liver, it's that much better than beef or pork liver. Moose liver is good stuff too, right there with deer, but elk is more like beef liver, not quite as bad. In our camps, deer liver never makes it home, it's always eaten the night of the kill, fresh liver and onions. I've even been known to take hearts and livers from fresh deer gut piles cuz lots of folks don't eat em, just leave em, their loss!!

Tim

I'm with you. Some of my hunting associates leave the entire gut pile after shooting a deer. I'll go back and pick up the deer liver and heart while slow hunting along the way. It doesn't bother me at all to eat the deer liver with bacon grease and onions. Given a fair evaluation, I bet more hunters would like it if they tried it.

deltecs · « **Reply #19 on:** December 05, 2007, 06:43:40 PM »

It just so happens that today a visiting friend and employee went behind the house around noon for a short walk hunting Sitkia Black Tailed deer. My crewman hadn't gone more than 100 yds and came across 5 deer bedded down in the trees near an open snow field. The forked buck jumped up about 15' in front of him and he missed the first shot using my Ruger 06 with 1x4 Luepold scope. The next shot took the back of the deers head and came out the mouth using 165 gr Sierra Gamekings at approximately 75 yds. He has heard me iterate enough about be sure to bring the heart and liver that he did just that. We just finished dinner of liver and onions with heart on the side. Delicious. My visiting friend is an old time hunter from NW US and has shot many mulies, white tailed and black tailed deer there, not to mention the quantity of Alaskan game. He related that this was unqualified the best liver he had ever eaten and my crewman stated the same. He is from Montana and has never eaten Alaskan Black Tailed deer. As I'm writing this post, both are still commenting about how delicious this meal was. I think I'll take a trip out behind the house tomorrow with my .243 RSI. We are out of liver and heart.

NYHunter · « **Reply #20 on:** December 06, 2007, 11:03:30 AM »

Yes it tastes great but I don't eat it anymore because of the health issues.
Too bad something that tastes so good is so bad for your arteries.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #21 on:** December 06, 2007, 11:20:38 AM »

Since I only get to eat it once a year, if that, it's a special treat, there are a lot more harmful things that we do/or don't do far more often that are worse for us, like overeating, smoking, breathing city air, drinking public water, not exercising regularly, etc. Eliminating that once a year treat isn't one of the "vices" I'm concerned about.

Tim

prairiedog555 · « **Reply #22 on:** December 06, 2007, 11:43:22 AM »

Love the heart breaded and fried. The liver I don't much care for, but my wife grew up on a ranch and ate lots of it, and likes it. I soak it good in milk and season and then put it on the grill sliced about 1/2" thick and baste with bar b que sauce at the end. Serve with a green salad with ranch and I will eat it, and maybe have 2nds.

I always eat my game. But whatever I am not too fond of I bar b que it with lots of sauce. I guess it is my version of cooking with a brick story.

SingleShotShorty · « **Reply #23 on:** January 23, 2008, 02:57:43 PM »

Noth'n like fresh deer liver and onions along with some cowboy beans and homemade biscuits, Yum Yum

lrs · « **Reply #24 on:** May 02, 2008, 01:37:38 PM »

I had fried liver and heart last weekend. From an axis deer I shot a couple of months ago. I just cut both into flat slices, rolled em in flour and fried them. Freaked out everyone in the house, but that's OK.
It was good eatin.

deltecs · « **Reply #25 on:** May 02, 2008, 09:23:45 PM »

That is when my guests either eat what's on the table or asked to leave. If they cannot tolerate the killing of amimals and eating them, it is time to end my relationship with them. Deer liver and onions are a favorite of mine.

trophyhunter · « **Reply #26 on:** September 22, 2008, 03:47:56 PM »

My favorite part of the deer is the heart cant say I like the liver but it is about the best turtle bait you can get and i love my turtle.

Cheesehead · « **Reply #27 on:** September 22, 2008, 04:03:57 PM »

I save the hearts for the grind pile, after seveal deer, it adds up.

Cheese

Tn Jim · « **Reply #28 on:** September 22, 2008, 05:02:52 PM »

Good Lord Rockbilly, you're killing me! When can I come to your house for dinner? That sounds great.

JBlk · « **Reply #29 on:** October 11, 2008, 03:42:57 AM »

We always look forward to fresh deer liver and heart.The deer liver is much richer than beef liver.I also look forward to a neck roast.I always threw it away until a friend made me one.