[MikeG]

Well, I don't have a recipe, but we decided to try keep some deer liver this year. Finally got brave enough to try it last night.

Was it ever good! Very mild and tender. Wife just cooked it like you would any chunk of liver. Forgot the onions though.

Anyway, I sort of cringe to think how many of them I've left on the gut piles over the years. Oh well. Coyotes and buzzards probably enjoyed them, even more than I would have

 

[unclenick]

Deer liverance!

Makes me wonder if a British steak and kidney pie recipe might be adapted to venison?

 

[Cheezywan]

Liver

It has been my observation that folks either "love" it or "hate" it with much passion on either side.

About once a year I get treated with "liver and onions" and sides. I am the only member in my family that eats it.

More to the point, NO OTHER MEMBER OF MY FAMILY will even try it!

ALL report that they love the "smell" though.

Cheezywan

 

[unclepaddy]

Fresh deer liver is a fine thing. I think it ruins the texture when it's frozen. I try to consume it fresh. It's another good excuse for saving bacon fat.

 

[BarkBuster20]

i broke down and tried liver (deer liver) and i loved the flavor, the texture was no good to me, i do hate it But i always do keep the liver if its okay, cause i do know people who enjoy it.

Heart on the other hand is very good! mmmmmmm deer heart. elk heart is like a nice roast.

 

[Old Grump]

Venison Liver my #1 favorite meat on my list, then venison roast then lobster, crab, shrimp, crawdads, Crappie, Tuna, shark, salmon. As you can tell my favorite foods are sea foods but venison liver has held the number one spot on my favorite list for over 50 years. Nothing fancy, no bacon or exotic spices needed. Just onion, salt and pepper to make a perfect meal. Cook it slow and till it's done, that simple.

 

[Cheezywan]

Just like anything else, "fresh" is important. Must be cooled down quick after harvest and kept on ice for best tablefare.

Other option is to "cook it now". That would be freshest of all. Kill it and grill it!

Must either be chilled or cooked quickly for best results IMO.

Cheezywan

 

[BarkBuster20]

Just like anything else, "fresh" is important. Must be cooled down quick after harvest and kept on ice for best tablefare.

Other option is to "cook it now". That would be freshest of all. Kill it and grill it!

Must either be chilled or cooked quickly for best results IMO.

Cheezywan

Thats the good thing bout organs, you can cool them off faster than any other part of the animal. I believe you can eat fresh raw liver if you have too.

 

[pruhdlr]

Liver....Well....??

First,you gotta like liver. You gotta like it allot. I do so......I never save a liver that has been blown up by the actual bullet or fragged by a piece of bone. It's gotta be pristine. Then,it has to be taken when still warm and immediately cooled to almost freezing.

Cooking is always in a black iron skillet that gets very hot with some butter,chips of garlic,and a bunch of onion rings from the red onions. I cook it about medium(30-40 seconds on each side).

Wife hates it...so...all the better for me. Enjoy...... ---pruhdlr
Edit to Add---> deer heart gets the same treatment,slice super thin.

 

[Cheezywan]

I have never met anyone that was "on the fence" about liver. Love it or hate it is the rule!

Few other foods are that way IME. Some vegitables I guess?

Cheezywan

 

[big dan]

do any of you guys think that a person should avoid internal organ consumption on account of CWD? i love liver, as does the gal i'm seeing but i've been leaving it behind as i wasn't sure that it was safe to consume... hmm.

 

[teacherboy]

I had one from a doe at christmas time. It was straight from the animal. The flavor was outstanding but the texture was horrible. Not sure why it was that way. It was quickly fried in a pan with onions. It wasn't chewy but it had an almost crunchy like texture. And no it was overcooked. I will have to try another one.

 

[Old Grump]

do any of you guys think that a person should avoid internal organ consumption on account of CWD? i love liver, as does the gal i'm seeing but i've been leaving it behind as i wasn't sure that it was safe to consume... hmm.

I avoided it like the plague for years because I couldn't get a straight answer from the DNR biologists about whether or not organ meat was affected but I am satisfied now that as long as you stay away from the brain and nervous system in the spine and neck you will be okay. I'm still shy about taking the tongue though, to close to the brain for me.

 

[mattsbox99]

Old Grump is right, CWD is only present in the brain and spinal cord, but its also not transmissable to humans at all, so avoiding the brain and spinal cord are also just precautions.

I gotta admit I haven't ever saved the liver or heart for myself. I have one friend that loves them and I have always just given them to him. This next year I might have to try.

On a side note, you can eat any meat raw, but it yields very few benefits because it is much harder for the body to process raw meats. The liver is the most valuable part of the body, it is loaded with every nutrient and lots of iron for good hemoglobin production.

 

[Irv S]

Do you dredge the liver in flour before frying or how do you make it. I stopped keeping the liver and now keep only the heart from Colorado deer because of CWD, but keep both from Pennsylvania deer (although its been several years since I shot a deer there - with the population there so low I've been letting the does walk).

 

[unclepaddy]

Do you dredge the liver in flour before frying or how do you make it. I stopped keeping the liver and now keep only the heart from Colorado deer because of CWD, but keep both from Pennsylvania deer (although its been several years since I shot a deer there - with the population there so low I've been letting the does walk).

I brine my slices in 1-1/2 cups of kosher salt to a gallon of cold water for about 4 hours. You don't want to go much more than that or it starts to break down the liver and it will be pasty. I cut about 3/4" thick. When you're done brining, dry off the dripping water, and dredge in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, or some seasoned salt. Sometimes I use some cayenne in there. I use bacon drippings just short of smoking and cook quickly to make a nice brown outside, and still pink inside. About the equivalent of medium-rare on a steak. I cook the onions on the side and lay them over the top. Many people say they should be cooked together, but I like them both to be cooked right, and that's hard to do for me with the two different cook times and heats. If you don't have kosher salt, you can substitute table salt for the brine, but be sure to reduce it by about half. Table salt is far more dense than kosher, and it will be too salty if you use the same proportions.

 

[REDTAIL]

I was told that Deer livers may have worms in it so I avoided it & still do. I love Beef liver & think that Venison liver may have the same taste.? Must try one day when the liver is not destroyed by the bullet.

 

[moosehunt]

CWD is caused by a prion. The prions are only in brain & central nervous system. Don't people study and read anymore? If a liver has worms, they are visible and you would see them. The beef liver you refer to is checked by human eyes--same as yours. Wasting heart, liver, and tongue should be a punishable crime just like wasting any other part of the meat. If you don't choose to eat it, pass it on to someone who does want it. Don't waste it. I've noted over the years that many folks either don't know how or simply don't bother to skin their liver. That may have something to do with some of the dislike, I suspect. Many people waste the tongue (the most expensive cut of a beef carcass, per pound) simply because they have never bothered to learn how to remove them--NOT through the mouth!

 

[amcowboy56]

MikeG, try marinating liver of any kind in butter milk for a day or two. Then do your cookin, it's good.

 

[uncowboy]

dont waste the liver

I do not like the liver but I never leave it in the woods. I bring it home slice it into strips boil it in salted water till it is done. Strain and rinse in cold water dry well and put it in a zip loc baggie.
What you now have is the best dog treats money can buy. Your best friend will now expect it every time you bring home a deer. Just saying liver treats brings him running to the frig. J.Michael