Pickled Red Onion and Corn Salsa ...Heart... Tacos?!

Yes, we're talking about eating venison heart!

Growing up, you couldn't have paid me to eat anything that even resembled a heart - no way! Now, I petition my friends that they should save and eat the hearts from the deer they harvest during those fall months. But for those that have no interest, Brandi and I will gladly enjoy the fruits of their hard work.

About a year ago I saw an episode of Meat Eater- a hunting show about a guy named Steve Rinella, who was urging people to think outside the box when it comes to keeping/cooking/eating the lesser desired portions of the wild game that they hunted. Believe it or don't, I'm really not big on hunting TV shows. For whatever reason, Steve's ability to convey the message that its not always about the "trophy" buck, but that every kill is a "trophy" if you're able to feed your friends and family, really stuck with me. And while I've certainly broadened my horizons- this recipe is actually a derivative of something Steve talks about in one episode or another- I'm not signing up to eat the raw fat behind the eyes of a caribou... another of Steve's favorites!

The first and most important step to heart tacos, is procuring a heart! I enjoy hunting, so mine usually come from one of my adventures out to my deer stand. Last season I managed to shoot my doe right through her ticker, completely obliterating the bottom half. Great kill shot- but not good if you're trying to turn said heart into a meal. The heart pictured above, came from one of the doe's my grandfather killed this past season. He's 92 years young and still managed to kill more deer this last year than I did!

The second step to heart tacos is cleaning and trimming the heart. The short version- core the heart like an apple, remove anything that looks like it might not be edible - any fat, silver skin, valves, or fibrous tissues need to be removed- they're not going to taste very good. From there, rinse the heart thoroughly removing any and all blood that may have remained inside the heart. The step-by-step version of how to clean a hear can be found here - https://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/2014/12/wild-game-how-trim-and-prepare-deer-heart/

Once you've got your heart cut into bite sized pieces, its on to the vegetables for your corn salsa. Hopefully you're able to use fresh ingredients- because if Brandi has tough me anything, and I assure you she has, fresh vegetables beat canned or frozen veggies any day. The red onion needs to be chopped the day before and then soaked over night in vinegar to create the tangy- pickled flavor we're needing. The day of, take your corn, green chili, and cherry tomatoes and prep them for your skillet. We halve the tomatoes and chop the green chili into little slivers before adding them to the grill. Wait until the corn, pickled red onion, and chili's are almost cooked before adding your tomatoes to help them keep their natural shape and consistency. I use an electric skillet for the corn salsa as it allows the moisture to evaporate so that the salsa isn't runny when you start assembling your tacos.

The heart will only need to cook for a few minutes on a medium-high heat- so about the time you add the tomato's to the salsa, thats when you start your heart. I use some Carne Asada mix from Lowry's (awesome stuff- already premixed and ready to rock!) and season the heart while its cooking. I'm constantly keeping the meat moving to help it brown on all sides, while not cooking it much past medium on the inside. Overcooking the heart is a critical mistake! The heart is an intense, yet delicate, muscle, and it can be very tough if not cooked properly.

Once your heart and salsa are done cooking, its as simple as assembling the two inside your taco shell, and garnishing with your favorite taco-toppings! We love to add avocado, cheese, medium cherry salsa, and sriracha sauce to ours, but we're not the taco police- you add whatever sounds good to you! I will tell you this, make sure you have a plan in place to keep your heart warm while you eat. Once the heart has cooled, its not near as delicious as it is while still warm. As for potential left overs- not a good idea with the heart. Recooking it will over cook the meat,making it tough and putting it in the microwave will turn it into bite-sized bits of rubber. So, pour yourself another glass of your favorite margarita, and make room for that last taco!

Here's the recipe I use for these awesome tacos:

Pickled Onion and Corn Salsa Tacos

Ingredients:

1 Medium Red Onion –Diced

2tbs white vinegar

1c Cherry Tomatoes – halved

1 Can Sweet Corn

1/2c diced green chilies

1 Venison Heart

Salt

Pepper

Taco/Carne Asada seasoning

Tortillas, Cheese, Sour Cream, Avocado, other favorite toppings

Directions:

~Mix diced red onion and white vinegar in container and let sit for several hours.

~Cook corn, chilies, and onion in large skillet until onion and chilis are cooked to desired tenderness. At tomato halves for the last few minutes just to make sure they’re warm. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

~Trim, clean, and dice the heart into bite sized pieces for cooking. Cook hot and fast, adding carne asada as you see fit. 3-5 minutes should get you to a medium done-ness.

~Heat tortillas, assembled with salsa and heart, garnish and serve!

If I were truly a good food blogger, I would tell you what these tacos pair well with some fancy wine selection... But I'm not, so I'll tell you that these pair well with whatever you want them to pair with. We love pairing these with a margarita recipe that my mom created, and that I have perfected. Throw some tortilla chips and your favorite salsa in the mix, and - BAM!