What to do with deer liver?

[Åshild]

Somebody just gave me some liver from a young deer, and I don't know what to do with it, if anything... Can anybody give me some advice? Is it safe to eat? How do you cook it? Recepies?

[Phil]

Ashild
.... make pate .... it makes the best pate you'll ever taste..

[Åshild]

I was hoping somebody would say that, Phil, thank you :)

[DJTJR]

It's great with onions lightly floured and fried or sautéed. Guys how do you make pate guys can't find the accent so it reads weird but would be curious as to how you do that?
D

[Åshild]

DJTJR, if I find a good recepie, I'll post it ;)

[red44]

Leave it in the woods with the rest of the innards. LOL
Why eat a filter?
Been there at deer camp, done that at deer camp, can't do it anymore.

[DanaC]

Soak it in cold water to rinse well. Slice 1/4" thick. Fry some bacon to crisp, remove bacon, then add chopped onion to the bacon fat. Let brown.

Fry the liver in the fat/onion mix, but don't overcook, a couple minutes should do it.

Dang, just made myself hungry...

PS, Red44, it's the kidneys that do the filtering. Like my dad used to joke, how do you cook kidneys? Cook the pi$$ out of 'em!

[DanaC]

Venison liver pate' recipe -

http://www.food.com/recipe/venison-liver-pate-134931

[FreixoBoavida]

Check for small round yellow spots (possible cysts), and liver flukes:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/whealth/issues/deerhealth.htm
If it's clean, eat it... it's very good, strong flavour, before cooking it, it's better to marinate 12 hours in red wine!
How to process a deer properly:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/whealth/issues/cwd/doc/deerprocessing.pdf

[Brad B]

Dana, a liver is a filter too. The blood is filtered in the liver to remove contaminants and waste products. The blood is filtered in the kidneys to remove waste products and excess water from the blood.

[Bowbender Mike]

Cysts and flukes, contaminants and waste products....
You guys are making me hungry!

[Åshild]

Cysts and flukes, contaminants and waste products....
You guys are making me hungry!

As long as it's pickled in red wine, I'll try it!!!

[DanaC]

As long as it's pickled in red wine, I'll try it!!!

Shiraz or Cabernet? Maybe a Rioja?

(Set voice = 'wine snob') "The pairing of the grape and wild game liver must be undertaken with great deliberation. While a cabernet is suitable for deer liver, one must pickle moose liver with a lighter vintage, possibly an old vine Zinfandel. And elk, of course, require a Merlot for best effect."

Sorry. (I know a few people who actually talk that way. Nuts, but they set a good table ;-) )

[FreixoBoavida]

Well, speaking about red wines, don't forget the portuguese ones, from our best hunting region, Alentejo.
The majority of them are a perfect match for wild game meals; but I really favour the ones from Granja-Amareleja-Mourão, or from Terras do Sado, near the city of Setúbal.
Start with a good Madeira dry white wine, and after the meal...a nice Porto, or an old brandy like Antiqua, or Carvalho, Ribeiro & Ferreira!
JB

[DanaC]

JB, I live in one of the most Portuguese towns in the USA - Ludlow, Massachusetts. Yes, there are a lot of good food and drink options here ;-)

State soccer champions. Again. A 'tradition' here since I was a schoolboy ;-)

[Åshild]

Shiraz or Cabernet? Maybe a Rioja?

(Set voice = 'wine snob') "The pairing of the grape and wild game liver must be undertaken with great deliberation. While a cabernet is suitable for deer liver, one must pickle moose liver with a lighter vintage, possibly an old vine Zinfandel. And elk, of course, require a Merlot for best effect."

Sorry. (I know a few people who actually talk that way. Nuts, but they set a good table ;-) )

Crikey! So many wines, so little time hahaha :help: (best get drinking)

[Åshild]

Well, speaking about red wines, don't forget the portuguese ones, from our best hunting region, Alentejo.
The majority of them are a perfect match for wild game meals; but I really favour the ones from Granja-Amareleja-Mourão, or from Terras do Sado, near the city of Setúbal.
Start with a good Madeira dry white wine, and after the meal...a nice Porto, or an old brandy like Antiqua, or Carvalho, Ribeiro & Ferreira!
JB

The dry Madeira I hope I can get here, and I will ask about the regional reds. As for the Port; picked up a few really good ones when I was in Porto this summer. What a place! Going back for sure :)

[graysquirrel]

Cut up in small quarter size pieces, let soak in water for 5-10 days, put in on the end of a proper treble hook and go catfishing

[A.S.]

Cut up in small quarter size pieces, let soak in water for 5-10 days, put in on the end of a proper treble hook and go catfishing


Bob, somehow I knew you would have a good liver recipe when I saw you had posted here!! LOL

We have about the same regards for liver I see!!

[graysquirrel]

Best use of it that I know :):):)

[DanaC]

Cut up in small quarter size pieces, let soak in water for 5-10 days, put in on the end of a proper treble hook and go catfishing

Sacrilege! Double sacrilege! Proper catfish bait is chicken liver!

Properly prepared deer liver is ambrosia for the red gods of the hunt. Which they (all too seldom) share with us mere mortals.

You bunch'a heathens...

[graysquirrel]

Now how could a couple of rednecks with discerning tastes (hey, we both have das gen ll bows) be considered heathens?

[DanaC]

Now how could a couple of rednecks with discerning tastes (hey, we both have das gen ll bows) be considered heathens?

Depends what kind'a arrows you're using! ;-)

[graysquirrel]

Carbon express, didn't know there was any other kind, except wood :)

[Dick4bows]

I just finished off my deer liver. I will be going back this weekend and try for some more. I just fry it in butter and onions. It doesn't get any better. I had the heart the night I killed the deer. Garlic, onion and butter. Keep it simple! I can't believe hunters leave the heart and liver in the gut pile. What a waste! Dick