Venison Heart & Liver Steaks for the Backwoods Hemmingway Lovers

I know what you're thinking. Gross, right? I'm no fan of liver myself, but there are several factors that drive me to this post.

1: Having grown up on 40 acres with a father who hunted for sustenance made venison heart and liver a yearly tradition. It may make the vegetarians cringe, but the smell of freshly hung meat and simmering venison heart reminds me of childhood - in a very good way.

2: This year I hunted and caught the meat myself, and the harvest-to-table holistic chef in me can't pass up the opportunity to try my hand at what my grandparents considered high delicacies. Perhaps it's their "waste not" in me, perhaps it's the pride of foraging the land for food, or perhaps it's my kamikaze quest for extreme recipes. In any case, having fresh venison liver and heart is an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

3: My Pilipino husband and red-blooded Midwestern family truly enjoy these dishes. They're used to treating "yucky" scraps like delicacies, and I'm happy to humor them. After all, what meat could be healthier than wild deer - even if it is liver?

Additionally, venison heart is to die for, plain and simple. You will never find a more tender, rich, flavorful meat. OMG.

Before we get to the recipes, I have to brag. Here is my 5 point buck:

Isn't he awesome?

And here's my husband's 10 point buck:

Can you say "trophy"?

Ok, there's a story here. Long story short, my husband lives in the Land of Sunshine, and it was just his luck to land a 10 point buck on his first hunting expedition - ever. First time shooting a rifle, actually. I was tired of him whining about being left inside, and since I scored my buck early in the morning, I pushed him out the door with my dad's 45 after lunch. He waltzes back in with the heart and liver 2 hours later. And all the hunters say in unison, "AAAARRRRGH!"

Enough chest beating. Here's the recipe.

Chances are that if you have venison liver and/or heart, you probably obtained them yourself (or had them brought to you by a very happy hunter). So first we'll address cleaning.

Wash both thoroughly with lukewarm water, being careful to completely flush the heart chambers. The heart will need to have valves and ventricles trimmed off the top, leaving only the muscle. There is usually a layer of fat on the top of the heart, and I recommend trimming this back as well, since venison fat is not at all tasty.

Liver Steaks:

Slice the liver into 1/2 inch steaks, crossways. Pat them dry with some sturdy paper towels then let them air dry on the cutting board while you prepare the batter. Depending on the size of the deer, one liver usually yields 2-4 lbs, and I recommend setting half aside, sealing it in freezer paper AND freezer bags and putting it in the freezer for later - unless you have a house full of liver-hungry hunters.

Next, batter each liver steak evenly in dry Drakes batter (near the flour in the baking aisle). If you don't have Drakes, use my dry batter recipe:

1 cup white flour

1 cup fine ground corn meal

2 tblsp. coarse/kosher salt

2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cayenne pepper (don't worry, high-heat frying will all but eliminate the spiciness)

Prepare a large, deep skillet with oil on medium-high heat. I prefer to use virgin coconut oil - it has hands down the best flavor and nutrition, and it's excellent for high heat frying. However, I realize coconut oil is expensive and hard to get (look for your local food co-op), so if you need to use an alternative, use canola oil (never olive oil).

Fill the skillet with oil 1/4 inch deep. You want the oil to be hot before you fry, and you can test this by flinging drops of water off your finger into the oil. If it sputters and spits immediately, the oil is ready.

Meanwhile, prepare another pan with medium-high heat and fry sliced onions and bacon. For a special treat, use my caramelized onion recipe with 4-5 slices of bacon added to it.

Place the lightly battered liver steaks into the oil, making sure not to crowd them too much. Fry at high heat 2 minutes on each side, sprinkling each side with salt and pepper - don't overcook them! Remove from the oil and let drain on a paper towel for a few minutes before serving.

Serve the caramelized onions and bacon on top of the liver. Actually quite tasty, if you don't think about it too much.

Venison Heart Steaks:

Prepare and cook the heart exactly the same way as the liver, lessening the cooking time to 1 - 1 1/2 minutes on each side. You want the heart steaks to be slightly pink inside, so if you're unsure, take out a smaller piece and check the middle.

Heart steaks don't need caramelized onions to accompany them as much as liver. Their texture and flavor are far more tender and sweet, and I like them by themselves.

Another great way to cook venison heart is to simmer it whole in a crock pot for 6-8 hours, or until very tender. Stuff the heart chambers with sliced bacon, ginger, salt and black pepper before cooking. Once the heart is cooked, slice into 1/2 inch steaks and serve with a beef-based mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes. Try this gravy recipe:

2 cups water

2 tblsp. beef bullion concentrate (equivalent to 6 cubes)

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 lb. fresh sliced shiitake or portobello mushrooms (shiitake would be best, but portobellos are cheaper)

4 tblsp. flour

Dissolve the bullion, salt and pepper into boiling water, then carefully sift in the flour, whisking constantly. Add the mushrooms and boil until thick. If you'd like it thicker, add more flour.

Mmm! Tastes like Little House on the Prairie.