GRILLED VENISON HEART ANTICUCHOS SKEWERS
Updated: Sep 30
This easy grilled venison heart skewers recipe is hands down my favorite appetizer and grilled snack food using deer offal.
Anticuchos is a prevalent dish with deep roots in Peru and Bolivia. In this version, I put my own touches on the dish by combining the flavors of both countries. I also swapped out the Rocoto chili paste which is normally used in Peru for the Korean Gochujang chili paste that most are familiar with.
While this isn't traditional, Peru has a long culinary history with Asian ingredients and cooking techniques.
Because you don't want to cook venison hearts to more than medium rare internal temperature, it is highly recommended that you use a grill that can get super hot. The hearts for this recipe are cut into small chunks, so they need to be cooked hot and fast.
This will ensure that you get a nice char on the heart and not overcook it trying to do so. Serve the skewers by themselves with some of the sauce as an appetizer, with roasted potatoes or rice as a main course.
This dish can be made with other tender cuts, I think the best way is to go the traditional route and use the heart.
How to Cook and Prepare Venison Hearts
There are a few ways to prepare deer hearts, but in general, the best way is fast and hot to achieve a quick sear without overcooking them. One of the best ways is to cook them like a deer steak. Simply butterfly the heart open making it one long flat piece of meat.
Trim away all connective tissue and veins from the meat and cook it as you would a backstrap or tenderloin. You can also eat them in raw preparations (think venison heart tartare) if you're that level of a meat eater.
If possible try leaving the meat out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking. I like to leave mine out for 1 hour.
If you want to try something more traditional, I also have a fantastic smoked venison heart recipe that will assure you that the organ meat is worth keeping.
Soaking the Hearts in Water
There is no reason to soak the hearts in water before cooking. Soaking can help remove some of the remaining blood, but it's generally unnecessary.
If the heart is trimmed of any visible fat and connective tissue, the flavors and textures are going to be pretty mild. The marinade in this recipe is super flavorful and mellows out some of the iron flavors.
Deer Heart Marinade
This is enough sauce to marinate two whitetail deer hearts or one elk heart while having some remaining to serve with the cooked meat. Any extra sauce can be kept in the refrigerator in a non-reactive container with a tight-fitting lid for up to one week.
Adjusting The Sauce
If you want a sauce that's a little less tangy for serving, add a little honey to the sauce that you set aside for serving.
Leftovers
Leftover heart is best if eaten within one day of cooking. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an air tight container.
The leftover meat makes excellent tacos. Drizzle with a little of the remaining sauce and top with cilantro and onions for an absolutely delicious flavor.
The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for one week. It can be used to marinate venison steaks, beef and chicken.
Looking for other wild game recipes? These are some of my favorites:
Lastly, if you enjoyed this simple recipe of Easy Grilled Venison Heart Skewers, please let me know in the comments! And if you happen to take pictures, tag me on Instagram. I thoroughly enjoy reading and replying to your comments. And I'm a bit of a nerd, so I like to check out your food photography as well...
GRILLED VENISON HEART SKEWERS
Serves: 2 People
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Marinade Time: 1 to 3 Hours
Cooking Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: Between 1.5 to 3.5 Hours
Author: Larry White
INGREDIENTS
For The Marinade
1 large venison heart, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup Gojujang chili paste
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cups olive oil
1/2 cup peanut oil
GARNISHES FOR SERVING
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Extra Sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
Clean the Deer Hearts: With a very sharp knife, open the deer heart and trim away any visible connective tissue and deer fat that's located outside of the heart. Cut them into relatively large pieces that are around 2 inches long and wide.
Make the Anticuchera Sauce: Add all of the ingredients together except the heart in a large non-reactive bowl and mix well. This will make about 3 cups of sauce. If you have the extra time, cover and let the mixture rest for 2 hours to let the flavors blend. Set aside 1 cup of the sauce for serving the meat. The remaining two cups will be used to marinate and baste the meat. Any Remaining sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for around one week.
Marinate the Meat: Place the heart chunks in a medium-sized non-reactive container and pour in just enough of the sauce to cover. Marinate for 1 to 3 hours. You will be saving the rest of the sauce for basting the meat while cooking and serving.
Assemble the Skewers: Place the heart chunks on the skewers. Try and assemble the skewers with meat pieces that are of equal proportion, that way they cook evenly. This means small chunks together on the same skewer and larger chunks together on another skewer. If you end up with some longer thin pieces, you can roll them up like a pinwheel before placing them on the skewer.
Cook: Preheat your grill or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat to high heat. Cook the heart meat skewers for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side while basting, until they are medium rare or until you achieve your desired doneness / internal temperature.
Final Step: Garnish with the chopped peanuts, cilantro, extra sauce, and maybe a little sea salt.
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