Aging Meat (Heart)

[kingfisher_jr]

I have been aging my deer meat for the last few years and I do believe that the meat benefits from it. I usually do at least a week or two in a dedicated fridge (for all steak cuts), but have went quite a bit longer than that. It got me thinking and wanting to see if anyone ages the heart also, or just eats it fresh? (I assume most don't eat it at all.)

I am honestly not crazy about eating the heart. To me it is decent, not my favorite cut by far. I have tried it a few different ways but we usually end up bacon wrapping it. I try to not waste any meat, which is really the only reason I eat it at all, plus my son loves it. I don't think it taste bad, it just isn't my favorite.

My question isn't as much on how everyone cooks it or if you even eat it. I am just curious if anyone let's it age any before they do whatever they are going to do with it. We typically cook it pretty fresh, with a day or two tops, buy I don't see where letting it age a little could hurt..

[GarGuy]

Buzzards like it.

[Big Lee]

Mine usually has a big hole in it. I share that Holy meat with the creatures of the night.

[muzzlebrake]

Mine usually has a big hole in it. I share that Holy meat with the creatures of the night.

You must be shooting a Mathews.
Myself, I use Rage broadheads so mine come out already sliced and ready to fry with the onions and gravy.

[Gumbo Man]

Mine usually has a big hole in it. I share that Holy meat with the creatures of the night.

Your just bragging now Big Lee. LMAO

[Bowanta]

Age mine with the rest of the meat in a cooler for at least 5 days; preferably 7 days.

[SNKETR]

Age mine in the fridge for 5-7 days. Usually one of the first pieces I eat.

[Bisch]

Buzzards like it.

And yotes too!!!!

Bisch


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[Triple 000 Buck]

Have been eating the heart for the last 45 plus years, when I was a kid my Mom always fried it, nowadays I cut it open to where it is one flat piece of meat, trim all foreign looking fat/tissue from it, rinse any blood from it, coat it with olive oil and Wild Game spice from Fiesta, place it in a ziplock overnight in the fridge. Grill it for about 4 minutes each side to 135* let it rest for 10 minutes(if you can bear to wait that long) and enjoy!
Had a couple of my sons friends at the house over the weekend, treated them to a fresh heart, my son's friend said it was the best fajita meat he ever had and his girlfriend who had never had deer meat before couldn't stop eating it!
Many times at the ranch we don't marinate overnight, we like it fresh so we season it with whatever is on the shelf, grill it and eat it after freshly taking it from the deer!

[justletmein]

I like the heart fresh, if it gets aged due to not getting to it fast enough I don't complain. I just strip it up and pan fry with a little seasoning and splash of oil and worcestershire sauce.

[doeboy11]

To answer your question, I will freeze mine along with the liver until after the season. If I have two or three, I make boudin. If I only have one I will thaw it and cook it then.

[GarGuy]

Have been eating the heart for the last 45 plus years, when I was a kid my Mom always fried it, nowadays I cut it open to where it is one flat piece of meat, trim all foreign looking fat/tissue from it, rinse any blood from it, coat it with olive oil and Wild Game spice from Fiesta, place it in a ziplock overnight in the fridge. Grill it for about 4 minutes each side to 135* let it rest for 10 minutes(if you can bear to wait that long) and enjoy!
Had a couple of my sons friends at the house over the weekend, treated them to a fresh heart, my son's friend said it was the best fajita meat he ever had and his girlfriend who had never had deer meat before couldn't stop eating it!
Many times at the ranch we don't marinate overnight, we like it fresh so we season it with whatever is on the shelf, grill it and eat it after freshly taking it from the deer!

That must have been a big ol heart.

[diamond10x]

I usually eat it within a day or two but if not it gets aged with the rest of the meat. It all tastes the same to me, it’s a muscle like the rest of the deer. This reminds me I’ve got the last bit of moose heart in the freezer I need to eat.

[El General]

I have been aging my deer meat for the last few years and I do believe that the meat benefits from it. I usually do at least a week or two in a dedicated fridge (for all steak cuts), but have went quite a bit longer than that. It got me thinking and wanting to see if anyone ages the heart also, or just eats it fresh? (I assume most don't eat it at all.)

I am honestly not crazy about eating the heart. To me it is decent, not my favorite cut by far. I have tried it a few different ways but we usually end up bacon wrapping it. I try to not waste any meat, which is really the only reason I eat it at all, plus my son loves it. I don't think it taste bad, it just isn't my favorite.

My question isn't as much on how everyone cooks it or if you even eat it. I am just curious if anyone let's it age any before they do whatever they are going to do with it. We typically cook it pretty fresh, with a day or two tops, buy I don't see where letting it age a little could hurt..

Whitetail hearts are small enough that I can't imagine that flavor benefit from true aging (30 days) will offset the amount of meat you lose. In my experience, aging 1-2 weeks is more letting blood and hemoglobin dissipate. It is better than nothing, but not greatly beneficial.

Meat will also age in a freezer. Stick it in there for a year if you want to age it.

Heart and the tenders are the two muscles that I think are excellent right out of a freshly killed deer. Liver as well is better fresh and I would only freeze it if I was using it for boudin or dirty rice.

[slayr]

That must have been a big ol heart.

Mature deer have big hearts.