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grilled deer heart recipe

Grilled Venison Heart (Peruvian Style)

Author: Larry White
This grilled venison heart recipe puts a bold twist on a South American classic. Marinated in a flavorful chili sauce, skewered, and seared over high heat. It’s a fast and delicious way to cook deer heart that honors the whole animal.
5 from 3 votes
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Course Appetizer
Cuisine Peruvian
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Marinate Time3 hours
Servings: 2 People

Equipment

  • skewers for grilling

Ingredients 

  • 1 venison heart, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

For The Marinade & Sauce

  • 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

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, except the heart, to a large non-reactive bowl and mix well. This will make about 3 cups of sauce. Cover and let the mixture rest for 2 hours, allowing the flavors to 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 deer heart chunks in a medium-sized, non-reactive container and pour in just enough sauce to cover them. 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 to assemble the skewers with meat pieces of equal proportion, so they cook evenly. This means grouping small chunks on one 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.

Grill:

  • 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.

Serve:

  • Garnish with chopped peanuts, cilantro, extra sauce, and a sprinkle of sea salt, if desired.

NOTES

Cooking Tip:

Prefer heart steaks over skewers? After trimming, cut the heart into small slabs. Marinate as directed, then grill over high heat for 1–2 minutes per side, just like a venison backstrap. Let rest before slicing.
Make this recipe?Mention @Larry__White or tag #WildGameGourmet!