The Nasty Bits: Venison Heart Tartare Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you need to soak a deer heart before cooking? ›

Instructions: 1. heart with a damp cloth, soak overnight in salted water, and then drain.

Heart is my favorite part of the deer. It has a little of the iron/metallic flavor but not nearly as pronounced as liver.

Slice and then chop your venison and quickly toss it with oil to prevent oxidation and protect the beautiful deep-red color. Mix in salt, pepper and capers, or any other aromatics you like. Garnish the tartare with an egg yolk and some fresh lemon zest & serve with crackers or toast & enjoy!

Not only is heart delicious and straightforward to prepare, but it also contains folate, iron, zinc, selenium, and B vitamins essential for our own heart health. The easiest way to prepare the heart is to cut off the aorta, fat, and hard connective tissue from the top and then slice the heart in half.

Deer hearts should be cooking medium-rare to medium, or for a very long time. Nothing in between.

Deer heart is really just another muscle/steak. It can have more of an iron-like taste because of its function in the body.

Deer heart is actually simple to make, is best eaten fresh not frozen, at least within a couple days of the harvest, and should be cooked medium rare to medium, but not overcooked. Most folks prefer medium rare.

Submerge venison roast in brine and refrigerate overnight, for a minimum of 12 hours, but no longer than 24 hours.

These “soaks” are specifically designed for one thing — removal of the blood and perceived “gamey” taste. I've soaked cuts of fresh venison in water overnight in the refrigerator, sometimes plain and sometimes in salt water. Drain, rinse well, then marinate and cook, or prep it for the freezer.

I suggest soaking the heart in a salty cold water bath to help draw out the blood from the heart. Discard the blood and then you can soak the heart in a bowl of water along with about a cup of apple cider vinegar to help tenderize it a little bit, or you can begin using it as is.

Is venison safer than beef? ›

Given that deer are leaner than cows, venison is generally healthier to eat than beef. An average cut of venison, in fact, has around half the calories and a sixth the saturated fats of a similarly sized cut of beef. It also has more proteins, vitamins and minerals than beef.

Beef tartare is made from raw ground beef, which can potentially contain harmful bacteria such as E. coli or Salmonella. In order to reduce the risk of foodborne illness, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that all beef be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

For those worried about bacteria, chefs know how to kill them off, typically in a process that includes submerging the beef in boiling salt water for ten seconds, then dropping it into a bucket of ice water for 10 more.

First, trim off the hard fat cap from the top of the heart.

Second, rinse the heart under cold water while squeezing the heart to pump it. This is to purge any remaining blood from the interior of the heart. Continue to rinse and pump until the water runs clear.

This is one of the worst things to do to any animal carcass after its slaughter. Putting the meat in water allows bacteria (primarily E. coli) to grow and spread over the entire carcass.

Get a pan really hot with a tablespoon or so of oil. Sear the heart squares quickly on both sides, about 1 minute on each. You want them to be medium rare. If you cook them too much they will be rubbery and not nearly as delicious.

Shave off a little bit at a time while not cutting too deeply into the muscle. Once the exterior is pretty clean, cut into the heart to begin opening it up "butterfly" style or like a book. Basically you're just trying to open up the chambers so you can trim the connective tissue inside.