STEP ONE: PROCESS THE HEART

• Filet the heart open down the center into one long piece. Trim all connective tissue and stringy bits.

STEP TWO: BRINE THE HEART

• Combine all of the the above ingredients into a pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir to make sure the sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove from the heat, let cool to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled.
• Submerge the heart into the brine weighing down with a dinner plate if necessary.
• Cover and refrigerate for five days.
• Remove the deer heart from the brine. Rinse the heart under cold water and completely dry off with paper-towels.

STEP 3: TIE AND DRY THE HEART

• Roll the heart into a very tight cylinder. Tie with butcher's twine at around 2-inch intervals to create one solid, tightly rolled mass.
• Place on a wire rack with a drip pan underneath in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. This allows heart to completely dry off and to develop a pellicle. The pellicle is that the smoke adherers to during the smoking process.

Step 4: SMOKE THE HEART (CHOOSE A METHOD)

A) Cold Smoke, then Hot Smoke (Preferred Way)

• Preheat your smoker to 100°F or lower. Add a pan of ice on a lower rack under the heart to cool the chamber. Crack the smoker door slightly to vent heat as needed.
• Cold smoke the heart at or below 100℉ for 4 hours.
• Raise the smoker temperature to 180°F. and continue smoking until the internal temp reaches 140-150°F (I prefer 140°F for texture). This typically takes 1 to 1½ hours. Remove the heart and rest 15 minutes at room temperature.

B) Hot Smoke Only (if you can't cold smoke)

• Heat the smoker between 150°F and 200°F. Smoke the heart until the internal temp reaches 140-150°F (your preference).