SLOW COOKED VENISON HEARTS
Servings: 6 People
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cups red onion, small dice
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups red wine
- 8 cups day old bread, crust removed and cubed (Use a hearty bread that you would use for French toast, I like Challah)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4-6 cups stock (chicken, venison or veal)
- 18 slices smoked bacon
- 6 venison hearts (cleaned and left whole)
Instructions
- Make the stuffing. In a large skillet melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and mushroom and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the thyme and red wine, then reduce it by half it volume. Add the cubed bread and stir until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook the mixture while gently stirring often for about 8 minutes. The mixture should moist but not soggy. If it looks a little too dry, add a little more wine to moisten. Let the stuffing cool to the touch.
- Stuff and wrap the hearts. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degree F. Stuff each heart tightly with the stuffing. Lay 3 strips of bacon across the top of the heart openings in a crisscross pattern, enclosing the stuffing inside. Tie some butchers twine around the bacon, securing them to the hearts.
- Braise the hearts. Place the hearts in a baking vessel in which the hearts will be packed tight enough to stand up. Pour the stock around the hearts until they are 3/4 of the way covered. Cover the baking vessel with aluminum foil and cook for 2 1/2 hours. Poke with a fork to check tenderness. If tough, cover and cook for another 30 minutes.
NOTES
Slow Cooker Option:
Follow the directions above for prepping the hearts for cooking. Cover with the lid and cook on the high setting for 6 to 8 hours or under very tender. You can baste with the cooking liquid every two hours to ensure the hearts will be moist. Make this recipe?Mention @Larry__White or tag #WildGameGourmet!