Fajitas are a surprisingly delicious way to make use of deer tongue. (Photo by Bruce Ingram)
October 14, 2020
By Bruce Ingram
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When it comes to deer hunting, I am proudly a meat hunter, as venison is the only red meat that my wife and I consume. As such, we try to use every part of a whitetail as a matter of practicality—even the organs that often end up in many hunters’ gut piles.
Aside from wanting to get the most out of every deer we kill, there’s another reason to include deer hearts, tongues, livers and kidneys in our diet. Laura Pole, an oncology clinical nurse specialist and health-supportive chef who we often consult for both health purposes and delicious meals, advocates consuming organ meats for their nutritional benefit.
“Venison is very healthy to eat, and the same holds true for a deer’s organ meat,” she says. “Organs are very high in vitamins and nutrients. Deer heart, for example, has the antioxidant CoQ10, which helps keep our tissues and organs healthy.”
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Here are three of our favorite organ-meat recipes we’ve come up with over the years.
Deer Tongue Fajitas Save the tongue from the next deer you kill and make these fajitas – you won't be disappointed.
Ingredients:
3-4 deer tongues 4 soft corn tortillas ½ teaspoon coriander ½ teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon salt 1-2 tablespoon olive oil 1 sweet onion, cut in half and sliced 1 zucchini, cut into strips about 2 inches long 1 bell pepper cut into strips 1 cup shredded cabbage or lettuce Grated cheese Salsa Get the Recipe: Deer Tongue Fajitas Recipe
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Grilled Venison Heart Kebabs Recipe Venison heart kebabs cook quickly on the grill and are best served over rice. (Photo by Bruce Ingram) Deer heart is packed with vitamins and nutrients and is especially tasty in this grilled venison kebabs recipe.
Ingredients:
3 deer hearts 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Fresh whole mushrooms Onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes Red, yellow, orange or green bell pepper cut into 1-inch squares Get the Recipe: Grilled Venison Heart Kebabs Recipe
Venison Steak-and-Kidney Tacos Combine chopped deer kidneys with diced steak to make a great taco filling. (Photo by Bruce Ingram) The taco meat in this healthy and tasty recipe is a combo of cubed venison steak and chopped deer kidneys.
Ingredients:
1 pound venison steak, diced into small cubes 2 deer kidneys 2 tablespoon taco seasoning 10 taco shells Grated cheese Shredded lettuce or cabbage Sliced avocado Chopped tomato Black olives Sour cream, guacamole, taco sauce as desired Get the Recipe: Venison Steak-and-Kidney Tacos
