Deer Heart

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Hello All. This recipe comes from the North Woods.  Tradition has it that in some deer camps, when a successful hunter brings in his deer, they cook up the heart and have it for dinner that same night.  Mostly in camp, they'll have simple ingredients and we chose to do the same.  Most people are reluctant to eat the heart, but it is actually quite tasty.  We also chose to keep the side dishes simple too, just garlic fries and canned corn.  Try it this fall and let us know what you think.  You just may have a new dish to enjoy.  Now go get adventurous!

Note: We tried different coatings. One with onions, one with Italian bread crumbs and another with Dixie Fry. You can be creative and use whatever you like, such as Japanese "Panko" bread crumbs or  even cracker crumbs. Jenny really liked the Dixie Fry and Italian bread crumbs. I was partial to the onions. Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce. 

Servings: 4 appetizer servings

Prep time: < 30 minutes

Ingredients:

- 1 deer heart

- salt

- Dixie Fry, Italian Bread Crumbs (store bought), or Onion coating (See recipe below)

- 1 egg

- oil

Onion Coating:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. onion flakes

1. Wash the heart thoroughly under water, removing excess blood. Squeeze if you have to. Cut off veins and arteries, basically all the white stuff. Since Rick shot the deer through the heart, the entire top of the heart was cut off. 

Tip: You can put the heart in the freezer ahead of time so it is easier to handle and slice into. Just remember to take it out before it actually freezes all the way through.

2. Lay the heart sideways in front of you and cut into half inch slices. Look for any metal that might've lodged in from the shot. Not fun to bite into. 

3. Dry your heart pieces by dabbing them with paper towels. Lightly sprinkle with salt on both sides.

4. Now set up your dredging station. In a small bowl, beat one egg. In a dish, pour some coating. Then another dish to lay your finished pieces. 

5. Dip each piece into the whipped egg, just enough to coat. Then dip into your coating, making sure to cover all sides very well. Lay onto the third plate in a single layer. 

This is the Dixie Fry.

This, the onion coating...

And finally, the Italian bread crumbs... don't they look like they're smiling? 

"Eat us! Eat us!"

6. In a large frying pan, heat up enough oil to cover the bottom over medium heat. Once hot, lay down your coated heart slices in a single layer. Do it in batches if you have to.

7. Fry until the coating turns golden brown, and then flip and fry the other side. Transfer your finished product to a dish lined with paper towels. 

Enjoy with your favorite sides and sauces, like green salsa, ketchup or steak sauce. 

We hope you will like this recipe. Please leave us comments to let us know what you think. Thanks!