Smoked Venison Heart
This smoked venison heart ham is made by brining a trimmed venison heart, rolling and tying it into a tight cylinder, then smoking it until it is firm enough to slice. It is a simple venison heart recipe that tastes more like a smoked ham than traditional offal.
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Heart
- 1 venison heart (deer, elk, moose or antelope)
For The Heart Brine
- 2 quarts water
- 3/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or sorghum
- 2 teaspoons pink salt (Instacure # 1 Optional Ingredient)
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon juniper berries, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
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).
NOTES
- Why two methods? You can cold smoke, then hot smoke for maximum smoke flavor, or hot smoke only if you can’t hold true cold-smoke temps. The goal is to achieve the longest smoke time before the meat reaches your target internal temperature (140-150°F). A longer time on the smoker without exceeding the internal temperature means a smokier, juicier heart.
- Trim the heart completely. Filet it open into one long piece and remove all visible veins, webbing, and connective tissue before it ever hits the brine.
- Chill the brine first. Simmer the brine only long enough to dissolve the salt and sugar, then cool it fully before adding the heart and refrigerating it for 5 days.
- Keep it fully submerged. Weigh the heart down with a plate if needed, so it stays under the brine the whole time.
- Roll it very tight. After brining, rinse and dry the heart, then roll it into a tight cylinder and tie it every 2 inches so it cooks evenly and slices cleanly.
- Dry it before smoking. Let the tied heart sit on a rack in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours so it develops a pellicle and absorbs smoke more easily.
- Cold smoke if you can. The preferred method is 4 hours at or below 100 F, then finish at 180 F until the internal temperature reaches 140 to 150 F.
- Do not overcook the heart. The post prefers pulling it around 140 F for the best texture, while 150 F gives you a firmer finish.
- Rest before slicing. Let it rest about 15 minutes after smoking so the texture settles before you cut into it.
Nutrition
Calories: 2705kcal | Carbohydrates: 166g | Protein: 322g | Fat: 74g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 2249mg | Sodium: 91419mg | Potassium: 5597mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 146g | Vitamin A: 66IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 423mg | Iron: 79mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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